First, Last, & Only
by Ginger James
Summary: John and Bri grew up together. He was her first crush. She was his first love. But something broke them up. They haven't seen each other since. Both have moved on. He has girlfriend, she's engaged. What happens when they find themselves together again?
1. Chapter 1

This is my first story I'm posting here. I have a lot more but I'm just trying this one out for now, please review if ya get the chance, i appreciate feedback. Thanks! Enjoy!

Just a Note: I had to shorten the age gap between John and the two girls in the story when they meet John is 13, Raquel is 11, and Brianna is 10. Once the flashbacks are done and we're in the present, John is 25, Raquel is 23, and Brianna is 22.

**First, Last, & Only**

John rushed around in his room, looking for his baseball cap. He was going to be late for practice again. Coach was going to kill him. He was usually at least five minutes early but the last two practices his mom had caused him to show up late.

"John!"

"I'm coming," he finally found his hat, lodged between his desk and the wall. He raced out of his room and down the stairs, pulling his hat down on his head. His mother caught him before he could rush out the door, gently pulling the hat off of his head.

"John honey, there are some people here I want you to meet," she said, smoothing his hair.

"Ma, I'm gonna be late," he tried to get past her but she turned him around, facing him toward the living room.

John rolled his eyes, sighing. He looked into the room and saw a man he didn't recognize. He was tall and had dark hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a gray suit, kind of like the ones John's mom always forced him to wear on special occasions. Those things looked so uncomfortable. John's mother led him into the room and he spotted two young girls. He could hear his mother rounding up the other kids in the house. While he waited for her to come back, he looked at the girls. They looked a few years younger than him. They were both shorter than John with dark hair and green eyes.

"This is Dr. Kavner and his daughters Brianna and Raquel," Carol introduced. "These are my boys."

"Nice to meet you," Dr. Kavner walked over, shaking hands with each of them.

"Hi," the young girls smiled.

"Hi," John waved.

"They just moved into the house on the corner," Carol explained. "The girls will be going to your school starting next week."

"Cool," Sean said.

"Mom, can we go back outside now?" Dan asked.

"Is it that torturous for you to be in the house?" Carol laughed.

They all nodded.

"Well why don't you ask the girls to go play?" she suggested.

"I'm afraid they cant," Dr. Kavner said. "Brianna's going to drive me insane if we don't go and get her enrolled in dance classes."

"You're a dancer?" Carol smiled.

The young girl on the left nodded and smiled proudly.

"Well there's a dance company not far from here," Carol said. "John's baseball practice isn't far from there, we can show you the way."

"That'd be great," Dr. Kavner said.

"Dad, you promised you would take us shopping," the other girl frowned.

"And I will," the doctor assured her. "After we go get Bri enrolled."

"_Fine_," she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You ready to go honey?" Carol patted the top of John's head.

John nodded, "Yeah, let's go."

_1 Week Later…_

John looked up from his lunch when one of his friends nudged him.

"Isn't that your neighbor?" he pointed.

John recognized Brianna walking by their table, heading for a table in the corner.

John shrugged, "She lives down the street."

"Why is she so quiet?" his friend Jake asked.

"She probably doesn't know anybody," John shrugged.

10 Minutes Later…

John cast a glance over in the corner. Brianna was still sitting by herself, staring down at her lunch. He felt bad for her, she started school on Monday and the few times he'd seen her, she'd been by herself, her eyes downcast.

"I'll be right back," he said, getting up from his table.

"Where you going?" Jake asked.

"To talk to my neighbor, I'll be right back," John said, walking away.

Brianna poked at her sandwich with her finger. She wished she had just stayed home. She hated this school. She had no friends and it didn't look like she was going to make any. She had plenty of friends at her old school. Why couldn't she just stay there with her mom?

"Brianna?"

She looked up when she heard someone say her name. She recognized John, one of the brothers she'd been introduced to the day they moved.

"Hi," she said.

"Can I sit down?" he gestured to the seat across from her.

She nodded.

"You look bored," he laughed.

"I am," she shrugged. "I don't have anybody to talk to."

"Where's your sister?" he asked.

"At home," Brianna sighed. "She's sick."

"That sucks," John said. They sat in silence for a minute or so. John finally spoke up, "So…how do you like it here?"

"I don't," she admitted.

"How come?"

"No one talks to me," she said. "I'm behind in every class because I moved so late in the year. No one likes me..I don't even know anyone."

"You know me," John smiled.

She laughed a little, "I've seen you every day since I've been here and _you_ haven't talked to me."

"Well maybe I didn't see you," he said.

"Sure," she rolled her eyes.

"Seriously," he said. "Come on, it cant be _that_ bad here."

"It is," she said.

"Do you like…nevermind," he shook his head.

"Do I like what?" she asked.

"Nevermind," he shook his head again.

"Come on," she laughed. "Now you have to tell me. Do I like _what_?"

"I was gonna ask a stupid question," John said.

"My dad always says there are no stupid questions, only stupid people," she smiled.

"Oh that's nice," John laughed.

"Just ask it."

"I was gonna ask if you like football," John said. "But then I realized it was a dumb question."

"Why is that a dumb question?" she asked.

"Because you're a _girl_," he said.

"So," she laughed. "Girls can like football. I _love_ football."

"Sure you do."

"I _do_," she insisted.

"What's a sack?" he quizzed her.

She rolled her eyes, "When the quarterback gets tackled before he can throw the pass."

John looked surprised, "Okay…who's the best team in the NFL?"

"The Steelers," she said. "Although _you_ would probably say the Patriots."

"Because they're the best," John smiled.

"Sure they are," she laughed.

"You actually like football?" John asked, confused.

She nodded, "I watched it with my mom all the time."

"You don't anymore?"

"She's back in Philly," Brianna explained. "Dad moved me and Raquel and his new wife here."

"Do you like her?"

Brianna made a face, "I can't stand being around her…I tried but she's just so mean. I hate being at home when she's there. Which is _great _because she's _always_ home."

"Well," John seemed to be mulling over something in her head. "Can you play or you just like to watch?"

"I can play," she said. "Why?"

"A bunch of us are gonna play a few games at my house today after school," he said. "You could come. It'll get you away from your stepmom."

Brianna smiled, surprised at his offer, "That'd be really cool."

"Alright then," he said. "Umm…Do you walk home or does somebody pick you up?"

"I walk," she said, seeing everybody getting up. Lunchtime was just about over.

"If you want…I meet my friends in the front of the school and we walk together…you could meet us by the flagpole and walk with us."

"Really?" she was again surprised at him. He was a lot nicer than she thought he would be.

"Yeah," he said, standing up. "You're small, I don't want anybody picking on you."

"I'm not _that_ small," she said, packing up her lunch.

"Sure you're not."

"I'm _not_."

_1996_

"_John_!" Brianna squeaked. "That's _gross_."

He had chewed part of his food and was sticking his tongue out at her, leaning toward her.

"How is it that high school hasn't made you any less disgusting and obnoxious?" Raquel raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Just lucky I guess," John smiled, swallowing his food. "Where the hell did Dan go?"

"He saw that one chick he's in love with now," Brianna took a sip of John's drink. "What's her name again?"

"Michelle Turner," Raquel made a face. "God I hate that girl."

"Why?" John asked.

"Because she's a _bitch_," Raquel said.

"Oh my _God_," Brianna covered her face. "Hide me."

"What?" John laughed.

"Jason," Brianna groaned.

"Jason?" John looked over at Raquel, confused.

"Jason Meisch," Raquel laughed, feeling sorry for her sister.

"Jason Meisch," John laughed. "Wasn't he supposed to graduate middle school when I did?"

Raquel nodded, "And then we _thought_ he was gonna graduate when _I_ did."

"So why are you so scared?" John looked over at Brianna.

"He's in love with her," Raquel explained, trying not to laugh. She felt bad for Brianna but it was funny. "He's practically stalking her."

"_Meisch_ is stalking you?" John laughed.

"Shutup," Brianna glared.

"Why didn't you tell me Bri-Bri?" John asked, mussing her hair.

"Because I knew you would laugh," she said. "And you _know_ I hate when you call me Bri-Bri."

"I know," he laughed. He looked past Brianna and waved, "Hey Meisch..get over here."

"John!" Brianna whispered. "What are you doing!"

"I'm taking care of this," he said. "Don't worry about it."

"Oh my God," Brianna groaned, sinking into her chair as Jason made his way over to their table.

"Cena," Jason smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Just hanging out with some friends," John put an arm around Brianna. "You know Raquel, don't you?"

"Hey Raquel," Jason smiled.

Raquel rolled her eyes, looking away.

"And this is my girlfriend Brianna," John said.

Jason looked shocked, "I uh..I know her."

"Do you?" John smirked. "You know Meisch honey?"

"Yeah," Brianna nodded. "We go to school together."

Jason looked nervous, "I uh..I should get back to my friends."

"Bye Jason," John smiled and waved.

Jason turned and walked away

_2 Hours Later…_

Raquel laughed quietly, shaking her head as Brianna walked into her bedroom.

"What?" Brianna eyed her suspiciously.

"Nothing," Raquel shrugged.

"Oh come on," Brianna rolled her eyes. "What is so funny?"

"You."

"What'd I do?" Brianna asked, sitting on her sister's bed.

"You like John," Raquel said matter-of-factly.

"What?"

"You..like..John," Raquel repeated slowly.

"Eww," Brianna scrunched up her face.

"What?" Raquel laughed.

"I've known John since I was like _ten_. I don't _like_ him," Brianna insisted.

"Yes you do, you little liar," Raquel pointed. "I can tell."

Brianna made a face.

"Come on Bri," Raquel smiled. "If you cant trust your sister, who can you trust?"

Brianna glared at her for almost a full minute, then her expression softened, "Okay so maybe I like him a little bit…but nothing's ever gonna happen."

"And why not?"

"Because he thinks I'm a little kid," Brianna said. "That's all I'm ever gonna be to him."


	2. Chapter 2

------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 2…**

_Present_

"What are you doing?" John shook his head as he and his girlfriend Paula walked into he and Jeff Hardy's dressing room. Jeff was sitting, flipping through a magazine when he had an hour to be ready for the show.

"Reading," Jeff smirked.

"Quality reading," Paula laughed a little, looking at the cover of his Maxim magazine.

"I will have you know that I'm learning a lot," Jeff said.

"From the 'up and coming' edition?" Paula smirked.

"Yes," Jeff nodded.

"We need to get you a woman," John said.

"You can get me this one," Jeff pointed as he flipped the page.

"Who is it this time?" Paula sat next to him.

Jeff read the article, "This up and coming model is one to remember, and what makes it easier, she's got a gorgeous face you couldn't possibly forget. She's appeared in ads for _Victoria's Secret, bebe, Guess, Jezebel Lingerie, Skyy Vodka, BedHead, Arianne Lingerie, and Catwalk._ The Boston native has been modeling since she was 12."

"She's from Boston?" John looked up.

Paula nodded.

Jeff continued, "She dropped out of high school during her sophomore year and decided to move to New York to further her career. The day she got there, Davenport was offered quite an interesting opportunity. "A man came up to me and told me that I was absolutely gorgeous. Of course, I waited for him to continue..He informed me that he was a producer and would like nothing more than to put me in a movie. When I asked him what the last movie he worked on was, he said 'Shameless Showgirls'…He wanted me to do porn. I was flattered but I had to turn him down. He insisted that I take the card though, just in case I ran into a rough patch and needed the work." Did she ever call him? "Not that I can remember."

"Wait..what was her last name?" John asked.

"Davenport," Jeff said. "Raquel Davenport."

_No way_

"What's wrong babe?" Paula asked.

"Nothing," John shook his head.

Jeff shrugged, reading again, "When asked if she's taken or looking, Raquel responds, "I'm always looking for a man. Doesn't matter if I have one or not..I'm always looking. You never know if things are going to work out. My father always taught me that you should always have someone to fall back on." Don't you mean some_thing_? "Trust me, if you knew my father you'd know, it's some_one_." Raquel says that her type of guy is "wealthy, tall, good looking..a good prospect for a gold digger…not that I am one. We just happen to have similar taste." Davenport is currently working on a 16 month calendar which should be in stores in December and will most likely sell out in it's first week. What's next for the brunette beauty? "Whatever I want." "

"She sounds..interesting," Paula said.

"I'm interested," Jeff smirked.

"Let me see that," John said.

Jeff turned the magazine toward him.

John was amazed. He hadn't seen Raquel in years. She looked incredible. She was on her knees in front of a glittering gold wall wearing a red bikini. Her thumb was hooked into her bikini bottom and she was running her other hand through her hair.

"Don't stare _too_ hard," Paula got up, walking over to him. "Girlfriend in the room, remember?"

"I know I just..nevermind," John shook his head.

"I think this one would be more John's type," Jeff read the opposite page.

John was too busy staring at Raquel to really listen to what Jeff was saying. The mention of his childhood friend had surprised the hell out of him.

"If you watch MTV you've undoubtedly seen this young woman. She's been a dancer since age 3 and has the body to prove it. She's Brianna Kavner-"

"Brianna?" John felt his heart drop.

"Yeah," Jeff nodded. "A 22-year-old dancer from Boston, Massachusetts` with a resume longer than many people twice her age. She's appeared in videos for countless artists dancing in clips for Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears. Brianna has toured with the likes of N'Sync and R&B/Hip Hop superstar Usher. She pulled double duty on the Justified/Stripped tour, dancing for both Christina Aguilera _and_ Justin Timberlake. She's been onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards and Movie Awards. She's also toured twice with Britney Spears, strutting her stuff on the Dream Within A Dream tour _and_ the Onyx Hotel. Kavner is not just any tour dancer, she's a choreographer, having designed routines for over 15 videos. She's also one of the most popular judges/choreographers on the hit Fox show So You Think You Can Dance?"

John smiled a little. That was his Brianna. If she was going to do something she was going to be the best at it.

Jeff continued, " "It's funny....people assume because of the work that I do that I must be a pop/hip hop music junkie...I think they'd be surprised to know that I have an ipod full of classic rock and bluegrass, metal, showtunes, old school soul, a little bit of everything. It's really random." Another interesting fact about this young beauty: She's related to the gorgeous model on the next page.

"Raquel is amazing...Sometimes she drives me _insane_ but I love her. We've always been close. We have another sister, Gia...Keep an eye out for her. She's great too."

What's next for Ms. Kavner?

"I don't know really...Only time will tell."

"They're _sisters_?" Jeff smiled.

"Jeff you're a pervert," Paula accused.

John took the magazine from his friend, staring down at the picture. Brianna looked as beautiful as he remembered. She was sitting on the back of a red car wearing a bikini with a red top and leopard print bottoms. Her hair was in messy pigtails.

"You okay John?" Paula asked. "You look a little pale."

"I'm just surprised," John said.

"Why?" Jeff asked, unzipping his bag.

"I uh…I know them," John tossed the magazine down, tearing his eyes away from Brianna.

"You know them?" Paula asked. "How?"

"They grew up down the street from me," John simplified things a little. "My mom worked in their dad's office."

"Then introduce us," Jeff laughed.

John shook his head, "Wish I could."

***

"Did they _have_ to use that picture?" Brianna asked. "I look fat."

"You look perfect," Raquel laughed. "They made me seem like a conceited gold digger."

Brianna didn't say anything.

"Bitch," Raquel laughed.

"You know I love you honey," Brianna laughed.

"Yeah, sure you do," Raquel laughed. "How's the tour going?"

"It's good," her sister answered. "Where's Gia?"

"God only knows," Raquel laughed.

Brianna laughed, "How's Nick?"

"Do I care?"

"_Raquel_," Brianna sighed.

"He's _fine_," Raquel rolled her eyes. "Living in _your_ apartment while you're out earning a living."

"You make it sound like he doesn't work," Brianna laughed.

"He doesn't work as much as _you_."

Brianna sighed again, "I gotta go rehearse. _Try_ to be nice to Nick, _please_."

"I'll try."

------------------------------------


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3…**

_2 Months Later…_

"I don't know about this," Raquel shook her head, sitting down on the couch.

"I think you should just do it," Troy said. "It could be fun."

"_Wrestling_?" Raquel raised an eyebrow at her cousin.

"Well, they said you wont have to _wrestle_, right?"

"Right," She nodded. "But do I really wanna do something like that?"

"Why not just meet with them?" Troy suggested. "It could be fun."

"Will you go with me?" Raquel laid her head on his shoulder.

"I swear, what would you and Bri do without me?"

"Shrivel up and die," Raquel smiled up at him. "Will you go?"

"Of course I will."

------------------------------------

"Hey," Randy walked into John and Jeff's dressing room. "What's up?"

Randy was concerned. His friend had been acting strange and distracted all day.

"Nothing," John shook his head.

"Yeah, I believe that," Randy rolled his eyes. "What's going on?"

John sighed, "You know how Vince has been trying to hire that model?"

"Raquel Davenport," Randy nodded.

"Yeah," John noticed. "She's uh…she used to be a really good friend of mine."

"How good?" Randy smirked.

"Not like that," John shook his head. "Remember when I told you about my ex-girlfriend?"

There'd been a few but Randy knew the one he was talking about. The one John mentioned more than any other.

"Brianna," Randy sighed.

John nodded, "Raquel is her sister."

"Damn," Randy said. "Do you not like her or something?"

"I love Raquel, she's like my sister," John said. "Or she _used_ to be…I just-"

"Think you might see Brianna," Randy finished.

"Right," John nodded.

"John, you're with Paula," Randy reminded him. "Why the hell do you care if you see her?"

"Because of how messed up things are after the last time I saw her," John sighed, running a hand over his hair.

Randy remembered the story as if he'd been there…

_2002_

_Brianna stared, horrified. She was visiting John at college for the weekend and in the process of cleaning his horribly messy apartment she'd stumbled upon a bra that she knew wasn't hers. She felt herself breathing heavily, almost gasping for air, her eyes filling with tears._

"_Baby are you okay?"_

_She squeezed her eyes shut, ordering herself to stay calm. She stood up slowly, turning around._

"_John," she breathed, holding up the bra, looking at his forehead, unable to look into his eyes. "What is this?"_

_------------------------------------_

_John walked further into the room. Brianna had a tendency to hyperventilate when she got upset, she'd been that way since she was little. His first thought was always to get her to breathe normally before she passed out._

"_Don't _touch_ me," she pointed._

"_Bri, baby you gotta calm down," he touched the side of her face._

"_Stop it," she took a step back. "I am fine."_

"_No you're not Brianna," he reached out to her and she stepped back again. "Baby just come here."_

"_Whose is this?" she asked again._

_John couldn't believe he'd been so stupid. He still didn't know what had made him do it. He loved Brianna more than anything. He'd never been one to believe in soul mates or anything like that but he could see himself with her for the rest of his life. They'd already been together three years and despite the occasional fight, their relationship couldn't have been better. They'd gotten into a fight a few months before. He didn't like the idea of her moving to LA on her own, especially considering he lived on the opposite end of the country, but Brianna wasn't going to budge, she wanted to move to further her dancing career. They'd argued for hours and then he'd gone out with some of his friends. He'd gotten so drunk he barely remembered what happened but he woke up next to a woman he didn't recognize with a hangover and an empty condom wrapper on the floor._

"_What did you do?" Brianna asked, her voice barely a whisper._

"_Bri, I'm so sorry," he took the bra from her, tossing it aside and taking her hands in his._

"_How could you cheat on me?" she sniffed._

"_I don't know what I was thinking," he pulled her close to him, resting his chin atop her head. "I'm sorry baby. I love you so much."_

"_You _love _me?" she looked up at him, her green eyes watering. She hit him in the chest hard, "You _love_ me?! That's all you can say?"  
"I fucked up," John ran a hand over his hair. "I don't know what-"_

"_Three years," Brianna clenched her fists in her hair, trying not to cry. "_Three years_ together…three years of my life I've spent with you and you _fucked up_?!" she took the bra and threw it at him violently._

"_I didn't mean for it to happen," John said, realizing how stupid he sounded. He didn't know what else to say._

"_Of course you didn't," She said. "And because of that..I'm supposed to forgive you, right? Because you just made a mistake and you love _me_ and she meant _nothing_ to you. Right?"_

"_Bri I don't know what to say except that I'm _sorry_ and I _love_ you," John said. "I don't know what the hell happened but it will _never_ happen again."_

"_No it wont," she shook her head, walking past him._

"_Bri don't leave like this," he followed her. "Brianna!"_

_She didn't turn around. She walked out the door, slamming it hard behind her._

"John, don't worry about it," Randy said. "Vince is hiring her _sister_..not her."

"I know that," John said.

"Good."

------------------------------------

Brianna was exhausted, nearly collapsing as she made her way into her hotel room. She'd just performed on the MTV Japan Video Music Awards as a backup for Rhianna. A few of the other dancers had tried to convince her to go partying with them but Brianna was exhausted. She'd thought she was going to be able to go home the week before when she ended her last tour but then she'd gotten the call that one of Rhianna's dancers was quitting and they needed her. Since she'd performed with the singer the month before knew the numbers, she agreed. She really needed to say no more often. This was getting ridiculous. She hadn't slept in her own bed in over three months. She hadn't seen her dog, Z, either and it was driving her crazy. Her father told her she was unnaturally attached to the dog but Brianna didn't care. She'd had Z since she was 15 and she loved him like her own child.

_1999_

"_What are you getting Brianna for her birthday?" Carol asked as she prepared lunch for her son._

"_I'm not quite sure yet," John said. "I wanted your opinion."_

"_Do ya have anything in mind?" she asked._

"_Kind of."_

"_I'm waiting," Carol said, pushing his plate at him._

"_A puppy," John smiled._

"_A puppy?" Carol said. "Oh honey are you sure about that? It's not good to surprise someone with an animal, they need time to prepare."_

"_That's why I'd have to talk to her dad first," John said. "And I know she wants one. She's been talking about it for months now. I want her to be happy."_

"_Well it's a very sweet idea," Carol said. "But you definitely need to talk to her father first."_

"_I will."_

_------------------------------------_

_1 week Later…_

"_My eyes _are_ closed damn it," Brianna laughed as John led her into the backyard. "What the hell kind of present has to be in the yard?"_

"_The kind you want," John said, closing the gate behind them. Before he could tell her to open her eyes, the Miniature Doberman he'd bought her four days before started barking excitedly._

"_Oh my _God_," Brianna put a hand over her mouth._

"_I guess the secret's out," John laughed. "Open your eyes."_

_Brianna's eyes opened and she squeaked excitedly, when the dog raced toward her._

"_John," she gushed, picking up the dog. "He's _adorable_."_

"_So I did good?" he smirked._

"_You did _perfect_," she kissed his cheek. "But I don't know if my dad-"_

"_I already talked to your dad," John laughed a little as the dog licked her face. "We got all the things you need and he's fine with you keeping him."_

"_Thank you so much," she gently put the dog down and jumped up, hugging John tightly._

"_You're welcome," he kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad you're happy. What do you wanna name him?"_

"_Z," she answered._

"_That's random," John laughed._

"I know_ but I was thinking about what I would name a dog the other day and I like it," she said._

"_Then Z it is," he said. "It's _your_ dog."_

_She smiled, "I know."_

Brianna picked up her cell phone and pressed 2. After three rings she heard someone pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey," she said, sitting on her bed.

"Bri, how are you?" Raquel asked.

"Tired as hell," Brianna yawned. "My plane gets in tomorrow at 8."

"Okay," Raquel said. "I have a job interview and then some things to pick up with Troy and Gia so I wont be able to pick you up but I told Nick so he'll be there."

"As long as someone's there, I'm happy," Brianna laughed. "What job interview?"

"Just a job," Raquel said. "I'll let you know what it is if I get it. I have to go, Troy and Gia say they love you."

"And I love them," Brianna laughed. "And you."

"Oh I feel special," Raquel said.

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Brianna hung up her phone and tossed it onto the chair next to her bed. Her sister was up to something. She never said _if_ she got something. It was always when. If Raquel Davenport said _if_ something wasn't right.

------------------------------------

"What is going on?" Troy stared at Raquel. "You _never_ rush Bri off the phone like that."

Troy had been sitting next to his cousin during most of her conversation and she was up to something. He moved over a little as Gia returned from the kitchen handing Raquel the glass of water she asked for and then sitting on the floor in front of the couch.

Raquel smiled slyly, "I just realized why I'm considering this job."

"Why?" Troy asked, patting Z on the head as the dog sat in Gia's lap. "Poor thing always looks so sad when Brianna was gone."

"Z or Gia?" Raquel smirked.

"Very funny," Gia made a face at her older sister.

Raquel laughed, sticking her tongue out.

"Back to why you're considering this job," Troy waited.

"John," Raquel said.

"John who?" Gia asked.

"Cena. He's a wrestler, remember?" Raquel smiled.

"I didn't know you missed John so much," Troy eyed her.

"Well I do," Raquel smirked. "And so does Brianna."

"Oh no," Troy shook his head. "Brianna is with _Nick_ woman.

"I know," Raquel insisted. "But she hasn't seen John since they broke up over her moving. I just think it might be good for my little sister to see her first love."

------------------------------------

John flipped to the next page of pictures. He'd never been one to keep up on photo albums, that was always a chick thing to him but his mom had taken a bunch of his pictures when he moved into his new apartment and placed them in leather bound albums. He didn't really know why he'd brought them out but he'd been looking through stuff for about an hour. He stopped when he saw a picture he hadn't seen in years. It was of Gia, Raquel, and Brianna. They all had their arms around each other's shoulders and they were looking at something that was out of the shot. John couldn't quite remember what but he could swear it was his brother Matt running around yelling because John had switched his hair gel with glue. The next picture was one John remembered taking. It was during one of the trips Brianna had taken to visit him at school. She'd brought Raquel with her because they were setting her up with one of his friends. After their double date hadn't gone exactly as they'd planned, they came back to John's apartment to watch a movie. In the picture, both women were sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall. Raquel was in her pajamas, eating a fortune cookie. Brianna sat next to her wearing John's football jersey, her hair a mess of waves, holding the remote and laughing furiously. John had surprised them by taking their picture when they weren't paying attention. Raquel had attacked him with a pillow and Brianna jumped on his back. That night Raquel fell asleep early and John and Brianna stayed up all night talking about where they wanted to get married. The sun was out before she fell asleep on his shoulder. John shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about this. It had been years since he saw Brianna. He had moved on and she probably had too. He wasn't even sure if he was going to see her again. He shut the photo album tossing it onto the coffee table. He needed to get some sleep.

------------------------------------


	4. Chapter 4

Another Note: The girls' cousin Troy is the same age as Raquel, 23.

Chapter 4…

_The Next Day…_

"Thank you very much for coming in today Ms. Davenport," Vince stood, offering Raquel his hand.

"Thank you for having me," Raquel smiled, standing as well and shaking his hand.

"I hope to have the contract drawn up and ready for your lawyers to look at within the next 48 hours or so," Vince said.

"Wonderful," she smiled. "Just fax it over to them and barring any problems it should be signed within a few days."

"You'll be a terrific addition to our family," Vince said.

"Thank you very much," Raquel beamed. "I'll see you soon."

"Have a good day," Vince nodded as she turned, walking out of the office. She closed the door quietly behind her and smiled to the receptionist as she entered the outer office. Troy stood up, looking at her expectantly.

"It went quite well," Raquel smiled. "We can go now."

----------------------

John yawned a little, walking through the front doors of the WWE offices. He'd just finished up an interview with and he was ready to get back to the hotel. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep and he desperately needed some. He was digging his keys out of his pocket, trying to remember where he parked when he thought heard someone calling his name. He shook his head, they were probably talking to someone else.

"John!"

He turned, recognizing the voice. A smile crossed his face when he saw her. Raquel raced toward him and he opened his arms, hugging her tightly. He picked her up, swinging her around before setting her down gently.

"How are you?" he smiled down at her.

"I'm fine," she smoothed her hair. "How are _you_?"

"Not bad, not bad," John laughed a little. He noticed Troy pretending to look hurt. "Big T, you know I couldn't forget about you."

"You better not," Troy laughed a little, hugging him lightly.

John shook his head a little. He hadn't seen either of them in so long. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed them.

"It's been a while Rocky," John mussed her hair a little. "You still kickin' ass?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, trying not to laugh at his nickname for her, "That was _years_ ago…_why_ do you have to bring that up?"

Troy laughed a little, "Because it's funny."

_1998_

"_Hey Bri," Raquel looked up when her sister walked into John's living room. John's younger brother Sean right behind her._

_Brianna dropped her backpack on the floor and walked over to the couch, flopping down between John and Raquel without saying a word._

"_So I take it you had fun at school today?" John laughed._

"_Oh yeah," Brianna nodded. She stuck out her bottom lip, "Is it still swollen?"_

"_Why is your lip swollen?" Raquel turned her sister to face her._

_"Because Rita Nichols decided that's how it should be," Brianna dabbed at her lip. "She pushed my head into my locker door."_

_"What the hell did she do that for?" Raquel asked._

_"You didn't tell her?" John asked, giving Brianna a disapproving look._

_"Tell me what?"Raquel looked between them._

_"Rita's been giving Bri shit for a couple weeks now. I asked her if she wanted me to talk to her and she wont let me," John explained._

_"Well I'll talk to her," Raquel stood up._

_"Please don't,"Brianna insisted. "That'll just get my ass kicked worse."_

_"Not if I kill her," Raquel said angrily._

_"Nobody's gonna kill her," Brianna said._

_"I'll be your alibi," John offered._

_"Don't encourage her," Brianna glared at John. "I'm 13, I can handle my own issues, thank you both."_

_"Not too well," John nodded to her lip._

_Brianna gave him the finger._

_"Has she done anything else to you?" Raquel asked._

_"Nothing but shove me in lockers, take my money, and threaten my life," Brianna shrugged._

_"Oh_ hell _no," Raquel started pacing. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"_

_"Because she's bigger than both of us, what are you gonna do?" Brianna asked._

_"She may be bigger Bri but we have _money_..and we're Italian..we can pay to have her knocked off," Raquel joked._

_Brianna laughed a little, then winced at the pain in her lip, "Just let me handle it please."_

_"Fine," Raquel sat back down. "For now."_

_2 Weeks Later_

_"Now what exactly are you planning to do?" John asked as he pulled into the middle school parking lot. Raquel had asked him to drive her to the school to pick Brianna up after cheerleading._

_"Nothing that doesn't need to be done," Raquel said._

_"Alright, as long as I don't go to jail for driving you here," John smirked, parking the car._

_"I won't do anything as long as I don't see something I don't like," Raquel insisted, opening her door and getting out._

_"And what exactly are you gonna do?" John asked as he exited the car. "You know I love ya kid but...Rita's about as big as I am."_

_"Hopefully I wont have to do anything," Raquel said. She grabbed John's wrist, looking at his watch, "It's 5:30, she should be done now, right?"_

_"I don't know her schedule," John laughed as they walked into the school. "I guess she'll be done. But I don't get it..why would Rita be here? She sure as hell ain't a cheerleader and I don't think the football players practice today."_

_"Bri comes home every day from cheerleading with some new injury," Raquel said. "The crazy bitch must wait for her."_

_They turned the corner and entered the hall where the 8th grade lockers were. Brianna was kneeling in front of her locker, pulling out books and shoving them in her dance bag. She was still dressed from practice and didn't seem to notice that anyone else was there. As they were walking, John spotted Rita rounding the other corner. She was very tall so it didn't take her too many strides to get to Brianna's locker. John quickened his pace when he saw Rita nudge the back of Brianna's head with her boot. He was about to say something but before he knew it, Raquel was running down the hall._

Oh shit

_Before John could yell for her to stop, Raquel had shoved Rita hard. Brianna was pressed against her locker, looking frightened._

_"This isn't any of your business_ Raquel_," Rita glared at Raquel._

_"It is when you're attacking my sister, _Amazon_," Raquel sneered._

_"What did you just call me?" Rita stepped closer to Raquel, bumping her._

_"Amazon?" Raquel shrugged._

_"Look, I'll kick your ass _and_ your sister's," Rita pointed._

_"Oh really?" Raquel pushed Rita again._

_"Really," Rita pushed her back._

_Then, Raquel slapped Rita hard. She almost had to jump to do it because of Rita's height but she hit her damn hard. _

_"Brianna get over here," John waved as she was almost hit when Rita fell against the locker beside her. Brianna ran over to him and he gently pushed her to stand behind him, "Is your head okay?"_

_"Yeah," she nodded. "Shouldn't we stop this?"_

_John looked to where Raquel and Rita were fighting._

_"Normally I would say yes," John said. "But Raquel seems to be winning."_

_Raquel straddled Rita's back, pushing her head into the floor, occasionally punching her in the neck or shoulders. Brianna walked past John and he grabbed her arm, pulling her back, "What are you doing?"_

_"Stopping them. John, the coaches are still here," Brianna said. "We're gonna get in trouble if somebody sees this."_

_"Okay, okay, just stay over here," he ordered. He ran over, wrapping his arms around Raquel's midsection. He lifted her off of Rita, kicking and swinging._

_"You can stop punchin now Rocky," John said, holding her up. After a few seconds she calmed, breathing heavily._

_"Umm..guys," Brianna said nervously. "I think somebody's coming."_

"It's great to see you both," John smiled.

Jeff was going to be incredibly jealous when he heard about this. John was gonna have to call him when he had the chance.

"Are you busy?" Raquel asked.

"Not really," John shrugged. "I was just goin' back to my apartment."

"You live out here?" Troy asked.

John nodded, "I moved out here when I started in UPW and I just haven't felt the need to move since."

"That is interesting," Troy smiled. "Raquel and Bri-"

"You should come to lunch with us," Raquel smiled, interrupting her cousin.

"We'd love to have you," Troy added. "And I promise I didn't mean that in a perverted way."

John laughed a little, "I don't have anything else to do..Why not?"

----------------------

Brianna closed her planner, not wanting to think about any work for a while. She was exhausted. She couldn't wait to get home. She didn't even know what time it was. She'd been in so many different time zones in the past few months she wasn't sure if any clock in her possession was even close to being right. She'd tried sleeping on the flight to make the time go faster but she couldn't. She was still wondering what Raquel was up to. Whatever it is, Brianna just hoped her sister didn't make a big deal of her coming home. Not tonight. All she wanted to do was go to bed.

----------------------

"That was so fun," Raquel laughed as she, Troy, and John exited the restaraunt. They'd just spent the past 3 hours catching up.

"Yes it was," John agreed. "Especially watching Troy's pinkie shoot up when he cut his steak.

"Leave me alone John," Troy laughed, pointing.

"What are you doing tonight?" Raquel asked.

"Nothing really," he shrugged. "Just sitting around my apartment most likely. Why?"

"She's having a party for Brianna and she wants you to come," Troy sighed.

"Brianna?" John stared a little.

Raquel nodded, "She's been on a European tour for a few months and she's coming back tonight...She would _love_ to see you."

"She would?" John asked, confused.

"Of course she would," Raquel smiled. "John, you two can't go forever not speaking to each other just because she moved away."

Raquel couldn't understand why John wasn't jumping at the chance. She knew he wanted to go, she was just a little irritated at his reluctance.

"I uh...I'm not sure I wanna crash the party," John said.

"Oh come on," Raquel pushed his shoulder.

He seemed to consider it for a second and then shook his head, "Trust me..Brianna wouldn't want me there."

"But John," Raquel looked up at him. "Don't you wanna see her?"

He sighed, "Yeah I do but..."

"I'll just give you the address and the time," Raquel offered. "If you want to come, then you're more than welcome. If you decide not to..that's fine."

----------------------

7:30 P.M.

Brianna was struggling with her bags when she heard her name.

"Brianna!"

She turned around, smiling when she saw Troy and Maya rushing toward her.

"Hey!" Brianna hugged Troy tightly when they reached her. She picked Maya up, hugging her as well.

"We missed you," Maya hugged her.

"Did you?" Brianna laughed a little. "I missed you too. How have you been?"

"Good," Maya smiled.

"That's good," Brianna brushed the young girl's hair off of her face. She looked over at her cousin, "I thought you were gonna be out with Raquel and Gi."

"Raquel's at her apartment," Troy said quickly.

Too quickly.

"Doing what?" Brianna asked, suspicious.

"Nothing," Troy insisted.

"_Maya_?" Brianna eyed her suspiciously.

"Nothing," Maya insisted with wide eyed innocence.

"Okay," Brianna sighed, putting her down to pick up a few of her bags, only to have Troy take them away. She rolled her eyes, he always did this to her when she came home. He never let her do anything. "Where's Nick?"

"At home," Troy and Maya both said quickly.

"Oookay," Brianna rolled her eyes, picking Maya up again. "I guess we can go."

"Good," Troy started walking ahead of them. Brianna shook her head. Something was going on. She could tell. She was too tired to push it though. She just hoped it wasn't anything too stressful.

"So you're going to a party at Raquel Davenport's house?" Jeff asked.

"No..I'm going to a party at Brianna Kavner's house," Johns said. "Maybe...I don't know. I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?" Jeff asked. "Still in love with her?"

"Of course not, I haven't seen her in years," John said. "It's just..I don't know, I'm not sure about it."

"What if I go with you?" Jeff suggested. "I'll make sure you don't do anything Paula wouldn't approve of."

"And hit on Raquel?" John smirked.

Jeff laughed, "Maybe a little."

----------------------

"You invited John Cena?" Dr. Frank Kavner stared at his daughter. "Raquel, you _know_ how I feel about Brianna being around him."

"I know Dad," Raquel rolled her eyes, opening a champagne bottle. "But let me put it in a way you'll understand...who would you like her with more: John, who has a _damn_ good job making more than six figures a year...or Officer Nick the has been boxer?"

"She has a point," Gia said, eating a strawberry from the bowl Raquel had just placed on the counter.

"You realize that Brianna is going to be furious with you when she realizes what you're trying to do," Frank pointed out. "Damn temper..Got it from her mother."

"She'll get over it," Raquel said. "She was in love with John..she wants to see him again whether she admits it or not."

"Why must my daughters have such horrible taste in men?" Frank looked up at the ceiling.

"I don't," Raquel pointed out.

"Neither do I," Gia picked up another strawberry. Raquel and Frank both eyed her incredulously. "Okay, Raquel doesn't."

"Can't she just find herself a good doctor or lawyer or _something_ worth while?" the doctor asked.

"She dated that one doctor, remember?" Gia asked.

"Yes but then he proposed to her too early and she realized that he wanted her to be a trophy wife," Frank rolled his eyes. "As if he's wrong for realizing what a prize she is."

"Dad, you two are never going to see things the same way," Raquel said. "You're just going to have to face it..I have...And while we're on the subject of bringing people who'll upset Brianna...I notice we're being joined by the lovely Audrea."

Raquel's eyes were fixed on the young blonde. Audrea Lindley was a former Lakers Cheerleader whose father was a patient of Dr. Kavner's. They met at one of her father's appointments and soon the 22 year old and Dr. Kavner were an item, despite his marriage to Kathleen Grant. Raquel, Gia, and Brianna all hated Audrea with a passion. Raquel couldn't explain how disturbed she was that her father's girlfriend was younger than her.

"You didn't tell me I couldn't bring her," Dr. Kavner smiled.

Raquel returned the smile, "Well you didn't tell me I couldn't treat her like crap."

Frank's smile fell.

Raquel extended her hand to her youngest sister, "Come on Gi..let's go say hello."

----------------------

"Bri, you're back."

"Yes I am," Brianna laughed, a little out of breath from carrying her bags up the stairs. Of course, the day she came back the damn elevator was broken. Nick ran down the stairs, pulling her into a hug.

She wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheek quickly, "Can I assume that someone missed me?"

"Maybe a little," he kissed her.

Brianna couldn't help but notice the huge smile on his face. Nick wasn't typically a smiley type of person. She knew he was happy that she was back but there seemed to be something else.

"What are you so excited about?" she asked as they walked up the stairs.

"Nothing baby," he smiled, taking her hand. She was about to pick up one of her bags but he pulled her, "You can get them later."

_Oh Jesus_

She could hear Troy and Maya coming up the stairs behind her.

_Damn, they've got me surrounded_

Once they reached the door to her apartment, she reached into her pocket for her keys but Nick stopped her, placing his hand on the doorknob. Brianna rubbed one of her temples, looking down at the floor, bracing herself. He opened the door and there were at least 20 people in her apartment yelling 'Surprise!'

_I knew it...I _knew_ it_

"Surprise little sister," Raquel walked over, hugging her tightly.

"I'm going to kill you big sister," Brianna smiled, her teeth locked together as she hugged her sister back.

Raquel smiled back, "Not while the party is going...there's too many witnesses."

Brianna glared at her sister. Raquel knew damn well how much Brianna hated surprise parties. She'd only had one good one that she could remember...and it was a memory she'd tried many a time to wipe from her mind.

_"I can't believe you tricked me," Brianna hit John hard in the arm as they walked outside. "I thought you forgot my birthday."_

_John smiled, he'd made sure everyone knew the surprise he was planning for Brianna and to make her think they didn't know what day it was. He'd gotten all of her friends and family to make a bigger deal out of New Years' Day, knowing how much it would bother her. Since she was born on January 1st, she was always expecting _someone _to forget her birthday. He'd told her he was taking her to a New Years' party and then surprised her with a birthday party at the sports bar his aunt and uncle owned and she worked at part time._

_"Bri, I've known you for _eight _years..have I ever forgotten your birthday?" he smiled._

_"I guess not," she pouted. "But there's a first time for everything."_

_They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Brianna's heels clicking on the sidewalk and the music from the party inside providing the only noise. He could tell she was thinking about something. He had a feeling he knew what it was but if she wasn't going to bring up her father, he certainly wasn't going to._

_"So...did you not invite my father?" she sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Or did he just decide not to come?"_

_"He said he couldn't make it," John answered._

_She didn't respond right away. Things had been incredibly strained with her father for the past couple months. They'd always had a tense relationship but never as bad as it was now. John always felt guilty when they talked about it because he knew it was his fault. Brianna insisted that she didn't care but...he could see that she did._

_"Raquel flew in from New York even though she has a photo shoot in the morning and he couldn't make it," Brianna rolled her eyes. "Gotta love that...You would think a neurosurgeon could come up with a better excuse."_

_John had tried his best to talk Dr. Kavner into coming to Brianna's birthday party. Unfortunately his daughter's 17th birthday was overshadowed by her disobedience. He'd informed John that he would celebrate Brianna's birthday when she got the hell away from him. The conversation had escalated into an argument with John pointing out that he obviously cared about Brianna more, thenDr. Kavner hung up on him._

_"Just try not to think about it," he put an arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple. "It's my job to make sure you're happy on your birthday and you're making it very difficult for me."_

_She laughed, "Forgive me."_

_"I can forgive but I'm afraid I don't forget," he laughed, leading her to a bench and sitting down._

_She arched an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms over her chest as he patted the seat next to him._

_"What's the matter?" he asked._

_"John, it's January in Boston, I'm wearing a miniskirt, and you want me to sit on a bench?" she stared._

_He laughed a little, "Then sit on my lap."_

_"I'll take the bench," she rolled her eyes. She was about to sit beside him when he grabbed her, sitting on her on his lap._

_"Hey!" she squeaked, hitting him on the arm again._

_"Be nice or I'm not giving you your present," he warned._

_"Honey, it's too damn cold out here to be all perverted," she laughed, taking his Red Sox hat off and putting it on her own head._

_"Get your mind outta the gutter," he laughed, turning the hat backwards. "I meant an actual present."_

_"You already gave me a present," she reminded him._

_John smiled, reaching into his pocket, "I'm sorry, is there a rule that I can only give my woman one present on her birthday?"_

_"Well what is it?" she smiled excitedly._

_He pulled the small ringbox out of his pocket, laughing a little as her eyes widened in surprise._

_"Don't worry, it's nothing too serious," he laughed, handing her the box. She opened it quickly and smiled when she saw the ring. It was a thin silver band with a very small round cut diamond. It had taken a little overtime at work to get it but it was worth it to see her smile that way._

_"Thank you," she hugged him tightly._

_"Yeah you better thank me," he laughed. _

_She pulled the ring out of the box, sliding it onto her finger. "How did you know what size to get?"_

_"I called Raquel," he laughed. "She knows your ring size and Gia's."_

_"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Brianna laughed. She giggled, looking down at the ring, "John, I love it."_

_"I love you," he gave her the cheesiest smile he could manage._

_"And I love you," she laughed. "Corny ass."_

----------------------

9 P.M.

"So how are you feeling?" Gia asked, putting an arm around her sister's shoulders.

"Gi, I'm just tired," Brianna sighed, resting her head on Gia's shoulder. "I want everyone out so I can go to sleep."

"Poor thing," Gia patted the top of her head.

"I really do appreciate them being here but...I wish I'd had a night to rest before I got all of this sprung on me," Brianna yawned. "Raquel told me I have another wonderful surprise coming...I'm just waiting for it."

"It'll certainly be a surprise," Gia said, finishing her glass of champagne.

"What do you know?" Brianna sat up straight, eyeing her sister.

"What do you mean?" Gia's face remained expressionless.

Brianna jumped when she heard the doorbell ring. Raquel rushed over excitedly, smiling from ear to ear, "Nobody get the door...the guest of honor has to answer it."

"No she doesn't," Brianna said, leaning back against the couch..

"Yes you do," Raquel grabbed her hand, pulling her up.

Brianna rolled her eyes, yawning as she walked over to the door, "I am _so _not in the mood for a stripper Raquel."

Brianna turned to glare at her sister but Raquel had retreated to where she could not be seen.

_Oh _that's_ a good sign_

Brianna felt a strange anxiety as her hand touched the doorknob. She didn't like surprises but they didn't usually make her nervous. She was tempted to just turn around and make someone else answer it but then she had a vision of Raquel running at her, insisting that _she _had to do it. She shook her head, taking a deep breath, and opened the door. Her heart stopped when she recognized the blue eyes staring back at her.

----------------------

All the words John had prepared left him when he saw her. She looked more beautiful than he remembered. Her hair was curled, flowing past her shoulders, her green eyes wide and confused.She wore a blue sweater that was sliding off her shoulder and a pair of jeans that were torn at one knee.

"John," she said softly. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

John couldn't bring himself to speak until Jeff nudged him a little.

"Raquel invited me," he forced out. "I uh..I figured she would have told you."

"She didn't," Brianna tucked her hair behind her ears. They stood awkwardly, neither of them uttering a word. John didn't know if he should leave or not and he was about to suggest it when a tiny young girl with a mess of auburn curls and wide hazel eyes ran over, smiling.

"Brianna, who is this?" she asked, taking Brianna's hand.

"This is...this is John," Brianna said nervously.

"Hi John," the young girl smiled.

"Hi," John smiled down at her.

"Is John your friend?" the girl asked.

"Uh..um..yeah," Brianna shrugged, running a hand through her hair.

"Will you be _my_ friend?" she looked up at him, smiling brightly.

"Of course I will," John laughed a little. He knelt down in front of her, "What's your name?"

"Maya," she beamed.

"Well it's very nice to meet you Maya," he extended his hand. "I'm John."

"I know," she giggled, shaking his hand. "You told me."

"We old people forget sometimes," he laughed.

Then, a tall young man walked over, putting an arm around Brianna and kissing the side of her neck.

John tried to ignore it but jealousy took over as he watched this man touching Brianna. He tried to seem non chalant when he spoke, "Who's this?"

"This is my boyfriend Nick," Brianna said. "Nick, this is John."

Return to Top


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5…

John tried to ignore the annoying feeling he got whenever he looked at Brianna and her boyfriend. He didn't know why it bothered him so much that she had a boyfriend. He had Paula. It wouldn't exactly be fair for him to expect her not to have someone else. There wasn't anything between them anymore. It was just a little weird having to be around them and see them together. He tried to take his mind off of it, walking over to Raquel and a few other familiar faces. He knew this was what Jeff had been waiting for.

"You made it," Raquel smiled, hugging him.

"Yes I did," he smiled. "And somebody forgot to tell their sister I was coming."

"Was that me?" she offered up an innocent smile.

"Who else?" John smiled.

"You know I've never had a very good memory John," Raquel shrugged.

John rolled his eyes a little, "Jeff Hardy, this is Raquel Davenport, Troy Newman, and Dr. Frank Kavner."

"It's nice to meet you all," Jeff said, trying unsuccessfully not to focus on Raquel.

John scanned the room and stopped when he spotted the third of the Kavner sisters.

"Giovanna DePedrini," he stared. "Is that you?"

A broad smile spread across her face as she ran over, hugging John excitedly.

"Oh my Gosh, it's so good to see you," she gushed.

"You too," he mussed her hair. He looked her up and down. She'd gotten taller, of course, and her hair was longer. The last time he'd seen her she still had a little acne and thick framed glasses. Now she was just as gorgeous as her sisters. "I cant believe you grew up."

"We women tend to do that," she laughed.

John had almost forgotten about Gia. He didn't know how..she'd been like a little sister to him pretty much from the second she moved in with the Kavners.

"Jeff," John smiled. "This is Gia."

"Nice to meet you Gia," Jeff shook her hand.

"You too," Gia smiled. She looked over at John again and hugged him, "I cant believe you're here."

"Me neither," John laughed a little. "Dr. Kavner, I have to tell you..you've got three of the most beautiful daughters in the world."

The doctor didn't really say much. He simply nodded and finished his champagne. John couldn't say he was surprised. Dr. Frank Kavner had never been his biggest fan. John and his brothers had terrorized their entire neighborhood as children and the Kavners' lawn wasn't immune. Dr. Kavner had always viewed the entire Cena family as inferior to his own. When he'd found out what was going on with John and Brianna...he was none too pleased.

_"And just how long has this been going on?" Frank asked angrily. John couldn't say that he was easily intimidated but the look in Dr. Kavner's eyes was making him a little anxious._

_"Not that long daddy I-"_

Shutup _Brianna!" Frank ordered. "I'm talking to_ him

_John flinched at the way he yelled at Brianna. He tried to control himself though. He didn't want to make the situation any worse._

_Frank stepped closer to John, furious, "How dare you touch my daughter! How dare you-"_

_"Dr. Kavner I-"_

_"I don't care what you have to say," Frank pointed. "You are not to see my daughter anymore."_

_"Dad that isn't your decision to make," Brianna argued._

_"Shut _up_ Brianna!" Frank yelled._

_"Don't talk to her like that!" John snapped._

_"I will talk to my child however I want!" Frank yelled. "You get the hell out of my house."_

_"But dad-"_

_"Brianna go to your room!" Frank ordered. She didn't move. Her green eyes filled with tears as they locked with John's. "Upstairs Brianna."_

_"She's not a dog," John said angrily._

_"She's whatever I tell her to be," Frank glared. "Now you get the hell out of my house and _away_ from my daughter."_

_2 Hours Later…_

_John stared at the TV, not really paying any attention to whatever was on it, not that it would matter, the picture kept messing up because of the storm. All he could think about was the argument he'd had with Brianna's father. The rest of his family was out of town so he was in the house alone and he just wished he had someone there to talk to. He hadn't expected Dr. Kavner to react that badly. All John was really concerned with though was Brianna. Her father wouldn't hit her but he seemed to have no problem with berating her for hours for and calling her an idiot. He heard a knock at the door and tossed the remote down next to him. His family wasn't due back yet but he figured it was just one of his friends who heard he was visiting for a couple days and wanted to come say hello. Why they would come over during a storm he didn't know but he wasn't too concerned with figuring it out. He just wanted them to go away. He opened the door, surprised to see Brianna standing there, soaked and crying. He quickly pulled her in, closing the door behind her and wrapping his arms around her._

_"Bri, what are you doing here?" he asked, brushing her wet hair away from her face._

_"I snuck out," she sniffed. Her eyes and nose were red, he could see that she'd probably been crying since he left her house. He pulled her close to him._

_"John, I'm gonna get you wet," she pushed him away, running a hand over her hair._

_"You know this is gonna be the first place he looks for you," he informed her._

_"I don't care,"Brianna sniffed. "I just didn't want you to think that I was gonna listen to him."_

_"Maybe you should Bri," John sighed, running a hand over his hair. "He's never gonna be okay with this-"_

_"I don't care," she insisted. "I don't want us to break up because of him."_

_John didn't know what to say. The last thing he wanted was to break up with her but he didn't like the problems their relationship was causing. He didn't like her getting hurt._

_"John," she sniffed. "Please don't let him do this...I love you."_

_"I love you too," he said, touching her chin. He leaned down, capturing her lips with his._

----------------------

"What the hell is he doing here?" Brianna breathed as she and Troy rushed into the kitchen.

Troy walked over to the freezer and pulled out the ice tray. Brianna was about to start panicking and he needed to get her calmed down.

"Why would she invite him?" Brianna asked, her voice high. "What the hell is going on?"

"Open up," Troy said, walking over to her as she sat on a barstool.

She opened her mouth and he gave her an ice cube. Troy had learned early on after moving in with the Kavners that Brianna's panics weren't to be taken lightly. Thankfully, they'd discovered at a young age that chewing ice helped her calm down. In the past few years she'd barely had any anxiety issues but Raquel's little stunt certainly seemed to bring it back quickly.

"Just breathe, everything will be fine," he said, smoothing her hair.

She took deep breaths, chewing the ice cube, staring down at her hands, "I love my sister..I really do but sometimes I just wanna kick her little ass."

"We all do at some point or another honey," Troy smirked. "Raquel has that effect on people.

----------------------

_1/2 Hour Later_

Raquel smiled at Jeff. She was drawn to him pretty much from the second she saw him. He was an incredibly attractive man. He made no secret of his attraction to her. He'd been staring at her all night. She took a sip of her champagne, toying with the idea of inviting him to her apartment after the party. He looked like he could be a lot of fun.

Jeff stared at Raquel as she talked about...he wasn't really sure _what_ she was talking about. He'd been listening for a portion of the conversation but he'd lost his focus. She looked incredible. She was wearing a dark red shirt with a low neckline and a gray pleated skirt, her hair neatly curled.

"So have you made your final decision about coming to work for Vince?" he asked.

"I have," she smiled, nodding a little. "I think it could be fun."

----------------------

Brianna stormed through her apartment. She'd finally recovered from the shock of John's presence and now she was just angry. She spotted Raquel talking to John's friend and made a beeline for her, grabbing her arm and smiling sweetly at Jeff before dragging her away.

"Brianna, if you'd like to talk to me, all you have to do is ask," Raquel laughed a little.

Brianna led her sister up the stairs and down the hall, opening Maya's door and pushing Raquel in. She walked in behind her, slamming the door, "What the hell is going on?"

"What do you mean?" Raquel asked innocently, finishing her glass of champagne.

"I cannot _believe_ you would do this to me," Brianna paced, shaking her head.

"_For_ you," Raquel corrected.

"What _exactly_ are you doing _for_ me Raquel?" Brianna fumed. "I didn't _want_ to see John. I never gave you even _one_ reason to think I did."

"If you don't want him here...then kick him out," Raquel smirked.

Brianna glared at her, "You know I can't do that."

"Then calm yourself," Raquel smiled. She cupped her sister's chin in her hand, shaking her head a little, "Have fun..it's a party."

Brianna continued to glare at her until Raquel shrugged, walking out of the room. Brianna sighed, sitting on the edge of Maya's bed, putting her head in her hands. She didn't need this kind of stress. Not now. She tried to take some deep breaths. The door opened slowly and Brianna looked up, taking another deep breath and putting on her calm, composed face. She relaxed a little when Maya came in.

"Are you okay?" Maya walked over, sitting beside her.

"Yeah," Brianna put an arm around the young girl. "I'm fine."

Troy noticed that John was standing off to himself near the stairs, his eyes locked on Nick. He walked over, standing beside his old friend.

"I see you've taken an interest in the man of the house," Troy smirked.

John shrugged.

"I'll give you a little summary," Troy said. "That my friend, is Officer Nicholas Antonio Larranaga."

"Officer?" John looked over at Troy.

"That's right," Troy nodded. "He's a proud badge and gun wielding law enforcement officer employed by the Los Angeles Police Department."

John shook his head a little, "She's dating a cop?"

Troy nodded, "He goes by Nick primarily and is, as of two weeks ago, 27 years old...He was married once before for about one year at age 21, resulting in that intoxicatingly adorable little child you met earlier, Maya Elise."

"She is a cute kid," John laughed.

"The cutest," Troy smiled. "Anyway, his wife was a very..._interesting_ young bleach blonde woman by the name of Carla..A junkie whom we have the pleasure of getting to see every two weeks when she has her fully supervised visitation."

"That sounds exciting," John said dryly.

"He played football in high school and for the two years he went to college," Troy sighed. "He made _quite_ a bit of money as a boxer a few years back but made the mistake of trusting his cousin to be his manager...His cousin, whose name I _believe_ is _also_ Nick, squandered away almost all of his money."

"Damn."

"Nick fired him and at his next fight he was paid 65 grand and stood to gain a hundred if he won the fight," Troy said.

"What happened?"

"He lost," Troy answered. "Hell, not only did he lose, he got knocked out so bad the doctors forced him to retire from the sport...He met our little Bri-Bri about 8 months ago when she was a guest teacher at Maya's dance class. He came late to pick her up because of work and lucky him..Brianna was the only person willing to stay four hours with the poor child."

"That sounds like her," a very faint smile touched John's lips.

"He's got _quite_ a temper on him," Troy sighed.

John flinched.

"He's never laid an angry finger on her, don't worry," Troy said quickly.

John relaxed, "Good."

"He proposed after six months of dating and they're currently planning the wedding," Troy said. "Though he is quite a looker, he's not exactly my first choice for Brianna. I can assure you that he's not nearly as gorgeous and funny as you are."

"They're engaged?" John stared.

"And you're gorgeous and funny," Troy nodded. "Keep up Johnny...And that ring by the way..paid for with _my_ money."

"Why?"

"He was about to borrow it from her and just not tell her what for," Troy shook his head. "I had to stop him. I wasn't about to let my cousin buy her own damn engagement ring, whether she knew it or not."

"She didn't tell me that," John said.

"That's because she doesn't know," Troy laughed.

"Not about the ring," John said. "About them being engaged."

"Ah," Troy smiled. "See, she's got a funny habit when it comes to that..She tends to just refer to him as her boyfriend..not her fiance...Interesting, isn't it?"

"Yeah," John looked down into his drink. "I guess...You know, I'm gonna go find Jeff..I'm uh..not in the mood for a party anymore."

Troy watched as John walked away. He felt for the other man deeply. Brianna and John were young when they were together but everything they felt was very real. There were residual feelings with both of them and Troy could see them trying to ignore it.

"What's up?" Gia walked over to him, putting an arm around him.

"You know Gi, I guess it's true what they say," Troy sighed. "You never really get over your first love."

"I got over mine," Gia insisted.

"Is that why you still have that box of letters and other assorted mementos in your closet?" Troy smirked.

"How did you know about that?" Gia stared.

Troy shrugged, "I was curious."

----------------------

Brianna chewed on another piece of ice, running a hand through her hair. She was about to turn around when she felt arms wrap tightly around her.

"_Oh_ my God!" she exclaimed, surprised.

"Brianna I'm so glad you're back!"

Brianna looked up at the ceiling when she recognized Jodi's voice.

"Me too Jodi," Brianna smiled, patting the younger woman's arms. "You can let me go now."

"Sorry," Jodi laughed a little, releasing her. "I just _missed _you."

Brianna pasted on a brighter smile as she turned to face Jodi, "I missed you too."

She braced herself as Jodi hugged her again.

Jodi McCall was quite an interesting girl. She and Gia met in a film studies class when the two were told to work on a project together. Gia brought her home to do some research and Brianna happened to be there. Jodi was immediately rather...taken with Brianna. She had a tendency to be a tad overenthusiastic but Brianna tried her best to be nice to her. The girl looked up to her, she couldn't really be rude. She'd always tried to make Jodi feel welcome, even allowing her to come to a few video sets with her. The young woman didn't have a big sister of her own and she'd kind of claimed Brianna.

"So tell me all about the tour," Jodi smiled.

"You know what," Brianna said. "I think I see Gia waving at me. You know Gi..always needin' something. I'll be _right_ back."

----------------------

"Hey," John walked over to where Jeff and Raquel were talking. "I just wanted to tell you, I'm gonna go."

The smile on Raquel's face fell.

"I appreciate what you tried to do but..things just aren't meant to be friendly with me and Bri anymore," John ran a hand over his hair. "I don't wanna make her uncomfortable in her own house anymore..I'm just gonna go.

Raquel looked upset, "I guess I understand but..I wish you wouldn't leave."

"I'm sorry I just...I gotta go," he said apologetically.

"Well can we have lunch tomorrow?" she asked.

"Of course," John nodded. "I'll come get you at noon."

"Okay," Raquel still looked a little disappointed.

"Jeff, you comin'?" John asked.

"No," Jeff looked over at Raquel. "I'll see you later."

"You do know I drove, right?" John asked.

Jeff smiled, "I think I'll be okay."

----------------------

"Come on kiddo," Brianna pulled back the covers on Maya's bed. The party was still going but it was getting late and Maya had school the next day. Luckily, her room was far enough away from the noise for her to sleep peacefully. Maya walked out of the bathroom in her pink pajamas, crawling onto the bed.

"I don't wanna go to sleep," Maya pouted.

"Why not?" Brianna pouted back at her, sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling the covers over her a little.

"Because I'm not tired," Maya stifled a yawn.

"Well too bad," Brianna laughed. "Lay down."

"Fine," Maya sighed, lying down.

"Thank you," Brianna kissed the top of her head.

"Is Daddy a loser?" Maya asked.

Brianna laughed, "A what?"

"A loser," Maya repeated.

"Where did you hear that?" Brianna crossed her arms over her chest.

"Aunt Raquel taught me," Maya answered.

"No, honey, your daddy is not a loser," Brianna smiled, smoothing Maya's hair. "Aunt Raquel is _judgmental_."

"What's that mean?" Maya asked, her hazel eyes wide.

"I'll tell you later," Brianna turned the light off. "Go to sleep."

"Goodnight," Maya said, settling into the bed.

"Night Maya," Brianna smiled, walking out of the room and closing the door quietly. She was turning around when she bumped into Nick.

"I'm sorry baby, you okay?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she nodded. "Just tired."

"Do you want me to kick everyone out?" he offered, putting his arm around her as they walked down the hall.

"No," she laughed a little as they started down the stairs. "Raquel wanted this party and she can have it."

"Whatever you say," Nick smiled, squeezing her shoulder a little.

Brianna slowed her pace a little when she noticed John coming toward the stairs. She was trying not to notice but he looked good. _Really_ good.

"Hey," he smiled when she and Nick reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hi," she mustered a smile of her own.

"I just wanted to say goodbye," he said. "I'm gonna get going."

"John, I hope you aren't leaving because of me I just-"

"It's not because of you Bri, don't worry," John smiled down at her. "I'm just tired."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Nick looked back and forth between them. He didn't like the way this guy was looking at his fiance.

"I promise," John smiled. "I'm just really tired, I've had a busy couple days."

"I understand that," Brianna laughed a little. "It was...it was good seeing you again."

"You too," John nodded. "Be good."

"I will," Brianna laughed.

"Nice meeting you man," John extended his hand to Nick.

Nick pulled Brianna closer, not bothering to shake his hand, "You too."

"Okay then," John laughed. "Bye Bri."

"Bye," Brianna waved as John walked away.

Something was up between those two and Nick didn't like it at all. He'd been able to tell from the second he saw him that John had a thing for Brianna. He didn't know who the hell he was but he was going to find out.

----------------------

1 Hour Later…

"John, are you alright?" Paula asked, concerned.

John nodded, "Yeah..why?"

"You've been acting weird all night," she said.

"I'm fine I just...nothing," John shrugged. "I'm fine."

"You can tell me," she touched the side of his face.

"I know," he said. "But there's nothing to tell...I just wanna get some sleep."

"Okay," Paula sighed. "You're _sure_ you're alright?"

"Baby, I'm _fine_."

----------------------

"That's enough cleaning for me," Gia said, tying off a garbage bag. "I have got to go to bed."

"Goodnight Gigi," Troy laughed.

"Night Big T," Gia laughed. She walked over to Brianna, hugging her tightly, "Welcome back sis."

"Thanks Gi," Brianna hugged her back. "And thanks for helping clean up."

"No problem," Gia shrugged. "I gotta earn my keep here some way."

"Goodnight," Brianna laughed, gently pushing her sister toward the hallway where her bedroom was.

Troy looked over at Brianna. She looked exhausted. They'd been cleaning since the party ended about an hour before and there was plenty left to do.

"It was so nice seeing John," Troy said, watching her to gauge her reaction.

She shrugged, "I guess."

"Bri, come on," Troy said. "You two cant be mad at each other forever...You remember how tight we all used to be?"

"Yeah," Brianna smirked a little.

"I don't know about you but I miss it," Troy shrugged.

"I do too but...there's not much we can do about it now," Brianna said, tying up another bag.

She sighed deeply, leaning against the corner, looking away.

"You okay babe?" Troy asked, concerned. She looked deep and thought.

"Yeah," she shook her head. "Just sleepy...I have to be up early tomorrow."

"Well why didn't you say something earlier?" Troy asked.

"I didn't think about it," she shrugged. "I've got a video rehearsal in the morning."

Troy crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a disapproving look. She worked too damn much and just when he thought she was taking time off, she brought up work again. "I thought you were off work for a while."

She smirked a little, "I'm off _tour_ for a while...I'm never off work."

----------------------

"So...this is my apartment," Raquel opened the door, waiting for Jeff to come in. She closed it softly behind him, biting her bottom lip as she watched him walk through the entryway.

"This is nice," he nodded.

"Thank you," she smiled, dropping her purse on the couch as she walked into the living room. "When we first found it the residents didn't want to move out but..I convinced them."

"And how did you do that?" he turned to face her, a small smirk on his face.

"I have my ways," she smiled, stepping closer to him. "When I decide I want something, I do whatever I can to get it."

"You know...I'm the same way," he said, taking her hand and pulling her against him.

"Really?" she smirked.

He nodded backing her up until she was pressed against the wall. She smiled up at him and he leaned down, kissing her hungrily. Their tongues tangled and she grabbed the backof his neck, pulling him closer. He trailed his kisses to the side of her neck and bit her hard. Raquel smiled...This was going to be an interesting night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6...**

**_The Next Morning…_**

Brianna walked out of she and Nick's bedroom, brushing through her hair. She'd woken up a little later than she planned so she'd rushed her shower and didn't have time to blowdry her hair. She knew Nick was probably up. He always had to be out early. As she expected, he was in the kitchen, making coffee. She slowed her pace when she looked down into the living room. Maya was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. Her red curls were a mess and her hazel eyes were tired and misty. Brianna walked quickly down the stairs, immediately concerned.

"What are you doin' up?" Brianna walked over to the couch, kneeling in front of the young girl, brushing her hair out of her face.

"I don't feel good," Maya coughed lightly. Since she was born, Maya had suffered from countless respiratory problems. Her asthma constantly gave her trouble and quite often, that was the least of her worries. Brianna had learned quickly after she started dating Nick just how to take care of the young girl. Even though she almost always knew what to do, she tended to get a little scared when she saw that Maya wasn't feeling well.

"No school, huh?" Brianna felt Maya's forehead.

"I can _try_," Maya claimed very pitifully.

"You don't have to sweetie," Brianna kissed her forehead. "I'll just take you with me. Come on."

Brianna stood up and Maya stood on the couch, wrapping her arms around Brianna's neck. Brianna lifted her and started making her way toward the stairs.

"You're babying her," Nick called from the kitchen.

"She's _sick_ Nicholas," she turned, smoothing Maya's hair. "What do you want me to do?"

"Cant Gia watch her?" Nick shrugged. "You're always taking her to work when you're home and you don't have to."

"I only take her when she cant go to school," Brianna said defensively. "And maybe Gia doesn't _feel_ like watching her today. I'm not gonna wake her up and ask her at 6 in the morning."

"You know, she is the laziest so called genius I've ever seen," Nick shook his head.

Brianna was thankful that she was holding Maya. If she hadn't been, she probably would have thrown the nearest blunt object at him. She was very sensitive about her sisters. Even the slightest insult set her off. Gia was a student at UCLA. She'd gained entry into the university at the age of 16 because of her high test scores.

She took a deep breath, not in the mood for an argument, "Whatever Nick, I gotta get Maya dressed."

She turned and started up the stairs.

"Bri, wait."

"_What_?" she turned around angrily.

"I'm sorry I'm acting like this," he ran a hand over his short hair. "It's just that...Carla's visitation is this weekend...You know I get stressed out when that time comes."

Brianna had completely forgotten that Carla had visitation coming up. She softened her expression a little, "I know you do."

"I'm sorry," he said, sincerely. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled. Then, Maya started coughing. Brianna turned, trying to get her up the stairs quickly in case she needed her inhaler.

----------------------

Jeff felt a little awkward as he and Raquel both sat up in bed. He'd woken up first and she was up a few seconds later. Neither of them had really said anything. He didn't really remember much. He knew he'd had an amazing night but he just..couldn't remember much. Something told him not to drink so much. He got up, finding his boxers on the floor and pulling them on.

"So I should probably get going," he said.

"Yeah that's..that's probably a good idea," she said, running a hand through her hair, holding the sheet up to cover herself. She stood up, wrapping the sheet around herself, her hair flowing in loose waves past her shoulders. She even looked good in the morning. Jeff was impressed. He pulled on his pants and looked around for his shirt. He didn't see it anywhere and then he heard her clearing her throat.

"What?" he looked over at her.

"I think it's..in the living room," Raquel said. "I think."

"Okay," he said, walking toward the door. He could hear her feet padding on the floor behind him. He held the door open and she walked out ahead of him.

----------------------

Raquel almost turned and ran back into her room dragging Jeff with her. The second the door opened, the smell of food hit her. She could hear Jeff behind her and she slowed her pace as they approached the kitchen. Troy was standing in front of the stove in a Kiss the Cook apron, making breakfast.

"Hey there," Troy smiled. "About time you two got up."

_Oh my God_

Raquel glared at Troy but he simply smiled at her.

"Jeff, right?" Troy looked over at him.

"Yeah," Jeff ran a hand through his hair, seemingly searching for a name. "Troy, right?"

"Very good, you get an extra waffle," Troy smiled.

"Waffle?" Jeff looked confused.

"I made breakfast," Troy said. "You two go sit at the table and I'll bring it right over."

"I uh...I don't know," Jeff looked hesitant.

_Thank God_

"I do..you're staying," Troy said. "I made enough for three people...You don't want it go to to waste, do you?"

"Umm..." Jeff scratched his head, looking over at Raquel.

Raquel pulled the sheet tighter around her, glaring at her cousin, "You might as well stay...Troy's never gonna let it go."

----------------------

Brianna looked over at Maya as she stopped at the red light. She seemed to be feeling a little bit better but Brianna was glad she'd kept her with her. As much as they claimed they knew what they were doing, the nurses at Maya's school never seemed to be able to handle Maya's problems. She was constantly being sent home. It was strange to Brianna that she was only 23 and had such responsibility. Maya had practically been her child for the past 8 months and papers were already being drawn up so that she could adopt her once she and Nick were married. She'd always wanted a child, she just never expected the situation she was in. It didn't matter too much though, she loved Maya dearly. The light changed and Brianna drove, turning the radio up a little. She rolled her eyes when her cell phone started ringing.

"Who the hell could that be?" she asked aloud. She winced a little at her choice of words. She really needed to watch what she said around Maya. It was hard though.

"I don't know," Maya shrugged.

Brianna shook her head, Maya had a habit of answering any question posed whether it was rhetorical or not.

"Answer it for me kiddo," Brianna reached into the backseat, pulling the phone out of her bag and tossing it onto Maya's seat.

"Hello?" Maya opened the phone. "Maya, who is this?...Brianna's in the bathroom..can she call you back?...Thank you...Bye."

"What was that?" Brianna laughed.

"It was Jodi," Maya smiled.

"Who taught you to do that?" Brianna smirked.

"Aunt Gia and Aunt Raquel," Maya smiled proudly. "Did I do good?"

Brianna laughed, shaking her head, "Yeah, you did good."

----------------------

Noon

John rang the doorbell at Raquel's door and waited. He was expecting to be standing there for at least a few minutes, unless Raquel had changed more than he thought. Much to his surprise, the door opened after a few seconds and Raquel walked out, shutting the door behind her.

"Hey there," he smiled.

"Hi," she said, dropping her cell phone in her purse and zipping it quickly.

"You look exhausted," he commented, pressing the down button for the elevator.

"I am," she sighed, putting on a pair of sunglasses.

"Do I even _want_ to know?" he laughed.

"Well," she sighed. "Before you find out from someone else...I slept with your friend last night."

"Which friend?" John asked.

"You're not funny John," she said. He could tell she was glaring through her glasses.

He laughed, "Okay I'm sorry...So...are you two uh..."

"No," she said quickly as they stepped onto the elevator.

"How do you know what I was gonna say?" he asked. "Maybe I was gonna say young, single people."

"Remember what I said about not being funny?" Raquel asked.

"Okay, okay I'm done," John put his hands up.

"Thank you," she said as they exited the elevator.

"So, how was it?"

"Shutup John."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7...**

_2 Days Later…_

"This seat taken?"

Jeff looked up from his food when he heard the chair across from his being pulled out.

Paula smiled, sitting down without waiting for his response. Jeff tried his best to be nice to Paula when John was around but when he wasn't, all bets were off. He'd never liked her and he didn't see that changing anytime soon. She had a tendency to act like the world was hers and everyone else was just living in it, like everyone was supposed to be in awe of her. She tried to control it in front of John but when he was gone, she showed her true colors. It still amazed Jeff that someone as smart as John didn't see right through her but they hadn't been together too long, he was sure his friend would figure it out eventually.

She wasn't exactly his biggest friend either.

"We need to talk," she said, folding her hands and resting them on the table.

"Do we _have_ to?" he asked.

"Do you know what's up with John?" she asked.

"Shouldn't you be asking _him_ that question?"

"No, I'm asking _you_," Paula glared. "He's been acting weird for a few days now and I don't know why."

"And what makes you think I do?" Jeff asked.

She rolled her eyes, "I am so not in the mood for this. Do you know what's wrong with him or not?"

Jeff shrugged.

"Does it have something to do with that party you guys went to?"

"Did he tell you anything about it?" Jeff asked.

"No," she shook her head. "He just came back and got all quiet."

It seemed to dawn on her that her suspicions were correct.

"What happened?" her eyes narrowed.

Jeff smiled, standing up and pulling some money out of his pocket. He dropped it on the table and then shrugged, "You'll have to ask John about that.

------------------------------------------

"and 5..6..7 and 8," Brianna watched the dancers in the mirror as she and her assistant Rob went through the steps with them. She'd been narrowing the field all day. She started at 6 that morning with about 120 dancers. Now, she was down to about 30 dancers learning the steps for what would hopefully be her last video before a _long_ vacation, Christina's new song 'Candy Man'. The song had a very 40's swing vibe and at Christina's request, she'd made the couples routine, which the artist wouldn't actually be dancing in, very difficult with lots of lifts and tricks but most of them seemed to be stepping up to the challenge. It was good to see them doing so well but it made her job a little harder.

"Okay guys, I really do hate to do this but it is that time again and I've gotta make one last cut," Brianna said, breathing a little heavily. She smiled when Rob brought her a towel and a bottle of water. "Before I do that, I wanna tell you that you are all fantastic dancers and I want you to know that getting cut from this one audition should _not_ make you stop trying. It's truly been a pleasure to work with all of you, it was worth getting up so damn early."

They all laughed a little but they still looked anxious. Brianna felt for them, there was a time when she was in their position.

"If your number isn't called, then you are due back here tomorrow morning at 6 A.M. for the beginning of the video shoot…Okay, here goes," she said. "Numbers 2..6..8..9..11..14..15..19..20..and 22, thank you all so much for coming in, I'm really sorry but we're not going to ask you to come back tomorrow. Thanks again guys."

Five of the six looked disappointed and one of the girls looked a little angry but they all walked to the back of the room to pick up their stuff and quietly filed out of the room.

"And now that I've created this warm, fuzzy environment," Brianna laughed, clapping her hands together. "I'll give you all some time to catch your breath, drink some water, and chill, in about a half hour or so, the stylists will come in to fit you for your wardrobe for tomorrow…I'm gonna get going, I will see you all in the morning. It's been great. Have a good evening guys, thanks again for all the hard work."

They all thanked her before rushing over to the cooler full of water bottles.

"Rob, I'll see you at 5 tomorrow," she sighed, tossing her towel over her shoulder and walking out of the rehearsal room. She went around the corner into the dressing room where Maya was lying on the couch taking a nap, a blanket draped over her. She knelt beside the couch, gently placing her hand on the young girl's forehead.

"Hi," Maya smiled sleepily.

"Hi sweetheart," Brianna brushed her hair out of her face. "You hungry?"

Maya nodded, "Can we go eat?"

"Of course we can," Brianna stood, picking her up. "What do you wanna eat?"

"Food," Maya shrugged.

"Sounds good," Brianna laughed. "I just need to change and we'll go pick something up."

------------------------------------------

"So your contract is signed?" Gia asked, sitting on the couch with her sister.

Raquel nodded, "All done as of today..Now I just have to wait for them to figure out what to do with me."

"I've been trying to figure that out my whole life," their father shook his head.

"Well I'm excited for you Raquel," Gia smiled.

"I'm excited too," Raquel smiled.

"I never thought I'd have to say that my daughter works for the WWE," Frank said with disdain.

"What's wrong with that?" Gia asked. "John works for the WWE."

"Why on Earth have I had to hear that name so much lately?" Frank asked, annoyed. "Am I really the only one that sees that it's _good_ that he's been out of our lives."

"Yes daddy, you are," Raquel said.

"I don't know," Gia said. "Bri didn't exactly looked _thrilled_ to see him."

"She hates surprises," Raquel shrugged. "But she was glad to see him, I could tell."

"You could?" Gia asked.

"Because of the way she looked when she opened the door," Raquel answered.

"She looked like her heart stopped," Frank argued.

Raquel smiled, "Exactly."

------------------------------------------

"I think all we need now are lasagna noodles kid," Brianna said as she pushed the cart through the store. Maya was sitting in it, surrounded by groceries.

"And cookies," Maya smiled.

"Now what do cookies have to do with lasagna?" Brianna smiled down at the young girl.

"Dessert," Maya laughed. "_Duh_."

"Duh," Bri jokingly smacked herself in the forehead, making Maya giggle. She was so focused on the young child that she didn't see the cart crossing in front of her.

------------------------------------------

John stumbled a little when he hit the other cart. He was about to tell the idiot to watch where they were going but stopped when he found himself staring into a very familiar pair of green eyes. He knew he should say something but for some reason his brain was having trouble sending messages to his mouth and he just stood there, staring.

"John!"

He snapped out of it when he heard the cheerful voice coming from the cart. Maya smiled brightly, her pigtails swinging a little as she waved enthusiastically.

"Hey there Maya," John smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Maya asked.

"A little grocery shopping," John looked down at his cart. All he had so far was a carton of eggs and a gallon of milk. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Brianna's gonna make lasagna," Maya smiled. "And she said I could help."

"Well that should be fun," John smiled. "I know Brianna makes great lasagna."

He looked up at her again and she was rifling through her purse. John knew she wasn't really looking for anything. Whenever she didn't want to make eye contact, she practically shoved her face in her purse to avoid it. He'd always thought it was kind of cute.

"You should come over for dinner!" Maya exclaimed.

Brianna looked up, obviously alarmed. John had to admit, he was a little surprised too.

"Oh I couldn't do that," John shook his head.

"_Please_," Maya looked up at him.

John didn't feel right saying no to the kid. And a part of him was hoping that maybe he and Brianna could talk, maybe straighten a few things out.

"I..I guess I could if it's okay with Brianna," John left it up to her.

"_Please_ Brianna," Maya clasped her hands together, pleading.

John could see that she wanted to say no and it made him a little nervous.

"_Pleeease_," Maya begged.

Brianna sighed, "_Okay_, okay, just stop giving me the puppy dog eyes."

Maya smiled excitedly, "You wanna come over now?"

John laughed, "I cant right now, I've gotta go back home and take care of a few things."

"Maya, sweetheart, why don't you run over there and get your cookies?" Brianna suggested.

"Okay," Maya stood up, excited.

Brianna lifted her out of the cart and she was running almost before her feet hit the ground. She looked after the young girl but John knew she'd sent her away for a reason.

"I can make up some excuse to back out if you want," he offered, hoping that wasn't what she wanted.

"No," she shook her head, still not quite looking at him. "Maya wants you to come over. She likes you..You always were good with kids."

"So were you," he smiled. "Are you sure you're okay with me coming over?"

"Yeah," she nodded, tapping her fingers on the cart. "Why?"

"Because you aren't looking at me," he said.

She looked up at him and he got a strange feeling in his chest. Not bad just…something he hadn't felt in a while. He couldn't really identify it.

"I was hoping maybe..maybe we could talk," he suggested.

She seemed unsure but she nodded a little, "Yeah, um..maybe."

"I got the cookies," Maya ran over, smiling, a pack of cookies under each arm.

"Good job," Brianna forced a bright smile, lifting her up and putting her back in the cart. "We should get going sweetie, say bye to John."

"Bye John," Maya waved.

"Bye," John waved back.

"You can come over at about 8:30," Brianna said, turning the cart.

John smiled, "I'll be there."

John watched them leave and he was about to turn away when something caught his eye. The loose pants she wore were sliding down a little and he could clearly see, very low on Brianna's back, a little to the right side. He couldn't believe she still had it. She'd gotten it when she turned 18 and he had been there with her, holding her hand. She said that it described how she felt about him. She had the words tattooed in small cursive letters:

_Sei La Mia Felicita_

It was Italian for 'You Are My Happiness'

John shook his head, knowing that if he didn't stop staring, people were going to think he was a stalker or something. He was just surprised. He assumed she would have gotten it removed. But for some reason, he was glad she didn't. He laughed a little, wondering if it was a full moon or something. The thoughts that were going through his head and the things that were happening, it was just…strange. He'd spent countless time thinking about Brianna, wondering how she was and what she was doing and if she thought about him. And after he'd finally decided that he was over her, that she was out of his life and he was okay with it..He'd gone from not seeing her for years to being invited to her house twice in one week. Now he just wondered what was going to happen next.

Dinner should be fun. Hope you're enjoying the story, reviews are, of course, greatly appreciated. Thanks !


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8...**

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Brianna asked, slicing tomatoes.

Gia was sitting on one of the barstools at the island in the middle of the kitchen, her chin resting in her hand, a sly smile on her face.

"I'm just surprised," Gia shrugged. "It's interesting to me that someone that was so angry about John being here the other day would invite him to dinner tonight."

"Did you just graduate from the Raquel Davenport School of Overanalyzing?" Brianna asked. "_Maya_ invited him, not me."

"Maya is _six_, it's not her house," Gia reminded her. "She made the suggestion but _you_ said it was okay."

"Because it's what _Maya_ wanted," Brianna said. "See how this all comes back to _Maya_ and not this undying love for John you and Raquel seem to think I have?"

"Whatever you say," Gia smiled.

Brianna rolled her eyes, laughing a little. She loved her sisters dearly but they were like pit bulls, when they got a hold of something they just refused to let it go.

"We need to get you a love life," she suggested.

"That would be nice," Gia laughed. "Maybe John has some friends."

"Speaking of his friends, did Raquel ever call that guy Jeff?"

"Nope," Gia answered, eating one of the tomato slices Bri had just cut. "She's mad because he didn't call her."

Brianna sighed, shaking her head. Her sister had quite an ego on her and if she got involved with a guy and he didn't flip head over heels for her right away, she took it as an insult.

Gia made a face, looking down at the cutting board and then back up at her sister.

"What?" Brianna asked.

"You don't like tomatoes," Gia pointed.

"Sure I do," Bri shrugged.

"No you don't," Gia eyed her sister.

"Yes I do," Brianna insisted.

"Then eat one," Gia challenged.

Brianna picked up a slice, looking at it and then back at her sister. Then, right on time, the doorbell rang. Brianna quickly dropped it, giving Gia a smile, "Come on, I'll go get Maya, you get the door."

------------------------------------------

John felt a little nervous as he waited at the door. Should he have brought a bottle of wine or something? Did Brianna even drink? Should he have brought a gift for Maya? Or a…pie or something?

_A Pie? What the hell is wrong with you?_

He ran a hand over his hair, trying to remind himself that this was just a dinner. A dinner with someone he'd known since he was a kid. Someone he'd fallen in love with before he even really knew what love was. Someone whose heart he'd broken.

_Way to make yourself nervous again, genius_

The door opened and Gia smiled at him, "Hey John."

"Hey Gi," he smiled.

"How are you?" she smiled, waving him in.

"Not bad," he said. "How are you?"

"Good," Gia smiled.

John heard loud, high pitch barking and he smiled when Z raced toward him, jumping around his legs.

"Hey," John knelt down, playing with the small dog. He stood, picking the dog up with him, looking around. He hadn't really gotten a great look at the apartment the last time he was there because it was full of people but now that it was relatively empty, he could see how big it was. Brianna had really done well for herself. He looked into the living room, seeing a wall of floor to ceiling windows, one was a door that led out to what looked like a very large terrace. It was very obvious that she had decorated the place. It looked expensive but it wasn't stuffy and uncomfortable. Bri had never been one to throw the fact that she and her family had money in anyone's face. That was usually Raquel.

"Pretty nice, huh?" Gia smirked.

"Not as nice as mine," he smirked. "But it serves it's purpose."

"You should see Maya's room," Gia said, leading him further into the house. "It's like a toy store."

Gia was still saying something but John stopped listening when Brianna walked down the stairs. She looked beautiful. She was wearing jeans and a dark green silk strapless top. Her dark brown waves were flowing over her shoulders and she wore a little smoky makeup around her green eyes. When Z saw Brianna, he practically leapt out of John's arms and raced toward her.

"Hi baby," she scooped him up, giggling and trying to turn away as he tried to lick her face. "Z, no kisses, you're gonna mess up my makeup."

She laughed, putting the dog down and standing up, wiping off her neck, "Maya should be down in a second. She wanted to put on a different dress."

"I'm gonna go help her," Gia volunteered, rushing off.

Brianna looked over her shoulder at her sister.

"She certainly ran off quick," John said.

"Yeah, she did," Brianna nodded.

"Look, I want you to know, whatever it is Raquel and Gi are tryin' to pull…I'm not in on it," John said.

"I know," she said, finally looking at him.

"Honestly, I'm kind of surprised that they would be so welcoming after..what happened," he said, wanting to slap himself for bringing it up.

She bit her bottom lip, looking away. Then she turned, walking out of the foyer.

John followed her, rounding the corner and walking into the kitchen.

She pulled a bag of cucumbers out of the refrigerator, taking out one and starting to peel it.

"Brianna?" he looked at her.

"The salad isn't quite done yet," she said, her eyes focused completely on what she was doing.

"Bri," he eyed her. "You're hiding something."

"I'm debating, should we eat in the dining room or just eat in the living room?" she said, ignoring his accusation. "Because we usually just eat in the living room but since you're a guest-"

"Brianna-"

"They don't know," she blurted, putting down the knife.

"What?"

She ran her hand through her hair, turning and pulling a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. "Raquel and Gia and Troy are being so welcoming because…" She turned back, her eyes finally meeting his, "I never told them."

"You didn't?" he stared.

She shook her head, "I didn't know how…I could barely believe it myself. At first I just told them we broke up because of my moving and I told myself I'd tell them the truth when I could actually get the words out and then, when I finally thought I could, it had been so long and they still talked about how great you were and I just didn't see a reason to change that."

"Well that explains the big welcome back," John nodded.

She nodded as well, looking down.

"Since we're talking about it," John said, feeling a little anxious. "Part of why I wanted to come here tonight was that I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. We never really got a chance to talk about it."

She was still looking down.

"Bri, this would be a lot easier if you would at least look at me," he said.

She looked up, and John could see that her eyes were misty. He immediately regretted his decision to talk about this. He hated seeing her upset.

"You know what I've always wondered," she sniffed.

"What?"

"Why?" she said, her voice barely audible. She was obviously trying to hold back her emotions. "Why wasn't I enough for you?"

John felt a lot of emotions he'd pushed aside come rushing back to him at her question.

"Bri, that wasn't it," John said, stepping toward her. She stepped back and at that moment John would have given up everything just to take back what he did.

She folded her arms, biting her bottom lip. She always did that when she was trying really hard to keep from crying, that or she chewed on her thumbnail.

"I was stupid," he said, his voice catching in his throat. He took a deep breath and continued, "When you told me you were moving out here…I was..I was afraid I was gonna lose you."

"But you weren't," she insisted, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I couldn't see that," John said. "In my head, you moving away meant me losing you and I couldn't deal with it…I got drunk and I went out with some of the guys..I don't even _remember_ it…The next day, all I could think about was you and how to tell you. Then I realized that if I told you it would _definitely_ be over and I..I didn't want that so I lied. And I will regret that for the _rest_ of my life."

He could see her trying to take deep, shaky breaths. The tears were flowing freely now but she still wouldn't allow herself to let it out.

"Bri, I never meant to hurt you," he said. "That was the last thing I _ever_ wanted. I tried everything I could to talk to you after you found out, I wanted to apologize, I wanted you to forgive me."

"Let me ask you something John," she finally spoke.

He waited.

"If I'm driving along in my car, and everything is fine, it's just a normal day…and then..I hit someone…Is it okay just because it was an accident?" she asked. "I didn't do it on purpose so it cant _really_ hurt anyone..can it?"

She looked up at him, her green eyes filled with tears, and his heart sank. He wasn't sure if there was anything that he could ever do to fix his mistake.

He wanted to do something. He wanted to put his arms around her but she would probably hit him. But if that would make her feel better, he would let her. John's phone rang in his pocket and he pulled it out, ready to turn it off.

"You can answer it," Brianna wiped her eyes, "I need to finish making the salad."

He looked at her for a second, not wanting the conversation to end that way but she was back to slicing cucumber. He turned, walking out of the kitchen.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey baby," he heard Paula's voice.

"Hey Paula," he said, rubbing his forehead.

"Baby, I need to ask you something," she said.

"What's that?" he sighed, not in the mood for whatever it was.

She started to speak but he couldn't hear her question because it was drowned out by a loud scream coming from the kitchen.

------------------------------------------


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9...**

"Brianna!" John dropped his phone, rushing into the kitchen. He looked around, panicking when he didn't see her. "Bri!"

"Yeah," he heard her voice coming from the opposite side of the island. He walked around, stopping when he saw her on the floor, her back against the cabinets. She was holding her hands together and he could see blood dripping from them. She was wincing, her head leaned back against the wood.

"What happened?"

"The knife slipped," she answered. "I cut my hand."

"Let me see it," he said.

"It's really not that bad," she said. "I'll be okay."

If he knew Brianna, it was probably bad. She hated going to the doctor or the hospital so whenever she got sick or hurt, she tried to act like it was nothing and she'd get better all on her own.

"Brianna," he gave her a look.

She sighed, unclasping her hands. She held up her left hand and John couldn't help making a face at the deep gash that went almost all the way from her pinky to her thumb.

"Jesus Bri," he said, quickly slipping his arm behind her and helping her to her feet. "Were you trying to chop your hand off?"

"Yes John I was," she rolled her eyes. "I didn't think I needed it anymore."

"Smartass."

"What happened?" Gia rushed into the room with Maya in tow.

"Bri cut her hand," John said, looking through the drawers.

"What are you looking for?" Brianna said, gritting her teeth against the pain.

"A clean dish towel," John answered.

"There's some in the bottom drawer down there," Gia pointed.

"Are you okay Brianna?" Maya walked over to her, wrapping her arms around her Bri's legs.

"I'm okay sweetheart," she nodded but John could see from the look on her face that she wasn't.

He pulled out one of the clean white towels, "Gia, maybe you should take Maya into the living room."

"That's probably a good idea," Gia said. "Come on kiddo, let's watch TV."

The look on Maya's face made it clear that she didn't want to leave. She reluctantly took Gia's hand.

"Give me your hand," John stood next to Brianna as Maya left with Gia.

"Why?" she eyed him suspiciously.

"Just hold your hand out," he instructed.

She did as he said, "You know it really isn't that bad."

"You're losing a lot of blood," John said, beginning to wrap the towel around her hand.

"Ow!" she squeaked. "That's too tight. Are you trying to make me pass out?"

"If we keep pressure on it, the bleeding might slow down on the way to the hospital," he said. "Hold this tight."

"I never said I was going to the hospital," She wrapped her hand around it.

"You need to," he said. "That cut is deep, it's gonna need stitches."

"It's not that deep," she insisted.

"Yes it is," he said. "And you cut it with a knife you were using to chop food, it's gonna need to be cleaned."

"Will you stop babying me?" she walked to the other side of the island. "You know I hate that."

"I'm not babying you," John insisted. "You're hurt."

"It doesn't hurt that bad," she argued. "And yes you are babying me. Stop it."

John felt his jaw clench in frustration. He couldn't stand when she did this. It was like running on a hamster wheel, no matter how right he was, no matter how many good points he made, he wasn't getting anywhere. Her tan skin was starting to look a little pale. He looked down, slightly alarmed at how quickly her blood was soaking the towel. Worried as he was, the fact that she was trying to ignore it frustrated him even more.

"You know, I wouldn't baby you if you didn't _act_ like such a baby when you get hurt," he said.

"Excuse me?" she stared. "I am not being a baby, I told you I am _fine_."

"Actually, you're right, you don't act like a baby when you get hurt, you turn into a little _brat_," he pointed.

"_What_!" she stared angrily, her voice squeaking a little.

"Oh don't act like this is news," John said. "Whenever there's something wrong with you, you get all snippy and yell at anyone that tries to help you."

"Oh how would you know, you haven't been around in years?" she sneered.

"I know because it's how you always were," he said. "And from the way you're acting now it obviously hasn't changed."

"_I_ am not _bratty_, _you_ just make a huge production out of the tiniest little thing."

"_Tiny_ Brianna?" He stared. "You sliced your damn hand open? What do you wanna do? Put a band aid on it?"

"You know, this is _just_ like that time we got into that tiny little fender bender and you made me go to the hospital," she pointed.

"You had whiplash!"

"I did not!" her voice squeaked again. "My neck just hurt!"

"For 2 weeks!" he yelled.

She let out a frustrated squeal, glaring at him

"Will you stop fighting with me and let me take you to the hospital?" John said. The towel around her hand was almost completely red and he was really getting worried.

"I don't need you to take me."

"You gonna drive with one hand?" he asked. "Or just let Maya take you?"

"I'm not going," she crossed her arms in defiance.

John shook his head, as long as he'd known her, the only thing that bratty little expression had ever done was make him want to fight with her more.

"Oh you're going," he smiled. "If I have to pick you up and carry you out of here."

"You wouldn't" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You really believe that?" he smirked.

"Look, you can't just jump back into my life after _cheating_ on me and then _years_ of no contact at all and just start barking out orders," she said, her voice getting louder.

"I'm not barking out orders," he shrugged, keeping his voice low. "I'm just calmly and quietly making it clear that one way or another, you are getting' your ass in the car and I am taking you to the hospital."

"No..you're..not," she glared.

Her jaw clenched and her left eyebrow raised as they stared each other down. They had gone through this many times before. Their relationship had been a great one but it wasn't without it's fights. And when they fought, it wasn't pretty. If John knew one person that was as stubborn as he was, it was Brianna. She didn't like to give up until she got her way...and when he really felt he was right, neither did he.

"Look, I'm guessing your little boyfriend caves when you're like this, but I think you know me well enough to know that I will pick you up by the back of your pants, carry you to the car and toss you in the backseat if I have to," he warned her.

She was trying to maintain her stern expression but he could see that she knew he meant it.

"_If_ we go, I'm driving," she challenged.

"I don't think so," he shook his head.

She walked around the island and past him, out of the kitchen.

He followed as she walked into the living room.

"Gi, watch Maya for a little while," she said. "We're going to the hospital."

------------------------------------------

_Later that night…_

John watched Brianna as they walked down the hall to her apartment. She looked much less pale than she had earlier. She did, however, look exhausted. Her eyelids were drooping a little and he'd noticed her yawning on the elevator. She yawned again and he nudged her a little, "Tired?"

"Very," she nodded. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah it has," he nodded as they reached the door.

She turned to face him, "I'm sorry for being such a brat earlier..I just hate doctors and hospitals and all that."

"I know," he nodded. "It's okay, I'm used to you being a brat."

"Hey!" she laughed. "I wasn't that bad, was I?"

He gave her an incredulous look.

"Okay, maybe I was," she smiled sheepishly.

"Maybe a little," he smiled. "How's your hand feel?"

It had taken quite a few stitches to close up the wound and now she was wearing a black brace that covered her hand and wrist.

"It still hurts but at least they stopped the bleeding," she said. "And I get this nifty brace so I don't move it too much…The doctor said you were right to bring me in."

"I know," John smirked, brushing off his shoulder.

"Shutup," she laughed, playfully pushing him.

They grew quiet and John started to think about the odd journey they'd taken in one night. They went from an awkward run in to an emotional discussion, to a fight, and now things seemed almost..normal. He hated that he had taken so long for them to see each other, for them to talk. He looked at Brianna again, she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

"So," he sighed. "Where are we now?"

She looked up at him, "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" he ran a hand over his hair. "I don't know..are we friends?..Do you still hate me?"

"I never hated you John," she said.

She must have seen the surprise in his eyes because she smiled a little, "Don't get me wrong, I tried to but..I never could."

Her voice cracked at the end of her sentence and she looked away, taking a deep breath.

"Then..are we friends?" John asked hopefully.

"I don't know if we are yet," she admitted, her voice shaky. She crossed her arms over her chest tucking her hair behind one ear, "but we can try."

"Do you want to?" he asked. John didn't realize until he asked the question how much her answer meant to him. He hadn't realized how much he really missed her until he saw her again.

The corner of her mouth lifted very slightly and she nodded, "Yeah…I do."

John smiled, relieved. She smiled back at him, neither of them saying anything for a few seconds.

"Do you wanna..have lunch tomorrow?" he asked.

Her smile faded, "I can't..we start filming the video tomorrow morning. I'm gonna be on set all day."

"You're gonna work tomorrow after what happened?" he gestured to her hand.

"Don't you do things like that all the time?" she asked. "I cant ask them to shut down production on a video because I need a day to recover..That would cost too much money."

John nodded.

"You could come over for dinner tomorrow," she smiled. "I'll try to remember that my hand isn't the main course."

John sighed, "I go back on the road tomorrow. I've got a flight to New York at 6."

"Oh," she said quietly. "So I guess this is gonna be the last time I see you for a while, huh?"

John nodded. He couldn't believe the way things were going. He'd wanted Brianna back in his life for years and when he finally felt like there might be a chance that he could have her, at least as a friend, he had to leave. And he'd never been good at saying goodbye. Especially to her.

"_Why am I doing all the packing?" Brianna asked._

"_Because you're so much better at it than I am," John wrapped his arms around her, kissing the side of her neck.. She leaned against him and he kissed her temple. He really was excited about going away to school but every time he thought about being away from Brianna, he wondered if he was making the right decision. He couldn't change his mind though. She wouldn't allow him even if he wanted to. She always wanted what was best for him._

"_I'm gonna miss you," he said, squeezing her tightly._

"_I'm gonna miss you too," she said, her voice cracking._

"_Baby you promised," he turned her around. "No crying."_

"_I'm not," she pasted on a smile. She turned back around, zipping up his bag._

"_You know we're still gonna see each other," he reminded her._

"_I know," she said, setting the bag down on the floor next to another one._

"_Come here," he took her hand pulling her to him. He captured her lips in a kiss. His hand found the back of her neck and she pulled the front of his shirt, moving him closer. After a few seconds, he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. She kept her eyes closed but John could see a tear escape her lashes and roll down her cheek._

"_Bri," he wiped it away._

"_I know, I said I wouldn't cry," she sniffed. She sat on the end of his bed, "I just..Nevermind."_

"_No, what?" he knelt in front of her._

"_I know you're only gonna be a few hours away but…you've been down the street since we were little," she sniffed. "And when I couldn't stand it at my house I could always come here and I always had you right here to make me feel better…And now I'm not gonna have that."_

_She put a hand over her mouth as she started to cry and John sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her. He stroked her hair, wishing he could do something._

"_John!" his mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs._

"_Yeah?" he answered._

"_The car's all ready, if we wanna beat the traffic, we gotta go now!"_

_Brianna pulled away, standing up and wiping her eyes._

"_You gonna come down?" he stood._

_She shook her head, "I don't want everyone to see me like this. I'm just gonna stay up here for a few minutes."_

_John took a deep breath, tucking her hair behind her ears. This was the really hard part, willing himself to walk away from her._

"_I'll call you when we get there," he said, kissing her forehead._

"_Okay," she nodded._

"_I love you," he touched the tip of her nose, smiling at her._

"_I love you too," she said, looking up at him with misty eyes._

"_I'll be back here the first chance I get," he promised_

_She nodded, "I know."_

"_I love you."_

"_You already said that," she smiled._

"_I know," he smirked. "That's how much I mean it."_

"_John!" his mother yelled. "Let's go!"_

_He hugged Brianna tightly, lifting her off her feet. After a few seconds he reluctantly put her down._

"_Go," she gently pushed him. He picked up his last two bags and walked toward the door._

"_I'll see you soon," he smiled._

_She nodded, tears filling her eyes again._

_He knew if he didn't go then, he never would, so, as hard as it was, he turned, walking down the hall and down the stairs. He hurried out the front door to the driveway where his mother and father were waiting by the car._

"_You got everything?" his father smiled._

_John nodded, opening the door to the backseat and tossing in the remaining bags._

"_Is Bri staying to clean up that mess I'm sure you left in there?" John Sr. laughed._

"_Yeah," John nodded._

"_Poor kid," his father shook his head. "I don't know how she puts up with you."_

_John shook his head, "Me neither."_

"_We've gotta get on the road," his mother walked out of the house, opening the passenger side door and getting in the car._

"_You heard your mother," his father sighed. "You wanna drive?"_

"_Sure," he nodded._

"_Alrighty."_

_His father got into the back seat and John looked over his shoulder, up at his house. The window in his room overlooked the front lawn. He could see Brianna leaning against it, tears streaming down her face. The sight broke his heart. She looked…lost._

"_I love you," he mouthed._

_She bit her lip and waved lightly and once again, John willed himself to turn away. It was time to go._

John looked at Brianna. She was looking down at the brace on her hand, playing with the velcro. She looked up at him with watery eyes.

He tucked her hair behind her ear, "Why is it always so hard to leave you?"

"I'm sorry," she laughed a little, sniffing. "I don't know why I'm getting like this…It's..It's probably because I'm so tired."

"Yeah," he nodded, knowing that wasn't true. "Probably."

A tear fell onto her cheek and he forward, wiping it away. He softly touched the side of her face, looking into her eyes.

"Bri!"

------------------------------------------

Brianna jumped when she heard her name. She turned to see Nick rushing down the hall toward them.

"What the hell happened?" he finally reached her, looking down at the brace on her hand.

"It isn't that bad," she insisted, hoping he didn't see how upset she was. She tried to compose herself, "I..I cut myself while I was making a salad."

"You have something to do with this?" Nick turned to John, annoyed.

"Nick, he didn't do anything," Bri defended him. "We ran into John at the grocery store and Maya wanted him to come to dinner. He was here when I got hurt, he took me to the hospital."

Nick still looked suspicious, "Why do you look upset?"

"I'm okay," she answered quickly. "My hand just hurts."

Nick wasn't convinced and Brianna wasn't in the mood to discuss it anymore.

"It's late, I'm gonna go make sure Maya's in bed," she said. "Gia isn't that great at enforcing bed time." She opened the door, then looked over her shoulder at John, "I'll..see you later I guess."

"Yeah," John nodded. "I'll see you later."

"Goodnight."

He waved, "Night Bri."

She walked inside, closing the door behind her and resting against it. She ran her hands through her hair, taking a deep breath, not understanding why she felt such an overwhelming urge to cry. John had only been back in her life for a few days. She was in love with Nick and he was undoubtedly attached to someone so what was her problem? Why was the thought of not seeing him anymore so hard for her to handle?

------------------------------------------

John watched the door when Brianna left.

"Look," Nick pointed at him. "Don't think you can try to come in here and take my fiancé."

"What?" John stared at him.

"Whatever it is that you had with her, is in the past," Nick reminded him. "She never even told me about you so obviously it didn't mean that much to her…She's with me now, and she isn't going anywhere."

John rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on, "I'm not trying to do _anything_. If Brianna wants to be with you, then I want her to be with you. I want her to be happy."

Nick rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you need to ask yourself a question Nick," John said. "Why didn't Bri call you to tell you she got hurt?"

Nick didn't say anything.

"If you two are so close, if you're so happy and stable," John said. "Then why did you have to find out from Gia?"

Nick obviously didn't have a response.

John walked away, grateful that the elevator was already open. If Nick had said much more, he was going to get a fist in the face. Fortunately, it wasn't a short ride down. He got off on the first floor and walked through, nodding to the doorman as he walked out. He paused, thinking back to the day he left for school. Things were different this time though. She wasn't the Brianna that was in love with him. The one who stared out the window, crying as she watched him leave. She was in love with Nick. And he was with Paula. Everything had changed.

He cleared his throat as he walked to his car, pulling his keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the doors and before he got in, he looked up at Brianna's terrace. He was surprised to see her standing outside, her arms wrapped around herself, the wind whipping her long hair around.

She looked down and their eyes met. Her eyes still looked watery and she was gently biting her bottom lip. She hesitantly raised her hand, offering a gentle wave.

He nodded to her, wondering why she was out there. A part of him hoped that she was there for the same reason she'd watched him leave years ago…But he knew that wasn't possible.

He took a deep breath, getting in the car. Once again, it was time to leave.

------------------------------------------

There ya have it...Chapter 10 coming soon! If you're enjoying the story, try to review please,a littleencouragement helps with the motivation to write more. Thanks!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10...**

_2 Weeks Later…_

"_Why_ cant we eat yet?" Jeff asked as he and his brother sat in the restaurant located in the hotel lobby.

"We're waiting on John and his friend, " Matt explained.

"What friend?" Jeff asked. "And why does that mean we can't eat yet?"

"I don't know, he just said he's bringing a friend," Matt said. "And we cant start eating 'cause it's rude."

"Why? It's not like we're telling them _they_ cant eat."

"Shut up Jeff," Matt laughed. "John said he'd be here at 3. It's 2:50."

"Well he's got five minutes before I order," Jeff said, looking down at his menu. "I'm starving."

Matt rolled his eyes then looked toward the door. John walked in and Matt was quite surprised at the 'friend' he'd brought along. He was expecting a guy, not a pretty brunette.

---------------------

"Wow."

"Wow, what?" Jeff looked up from his menu. His brother was looking at something behind him. Jeff turned, staring when he saw Raquel walking a few steps behind John.

"Since when does John have friends that look like _that_?" Matt asked.

Jeff was too focused on the brunette to answer Matt's question. She looked good..damn good. She was wearing a very low cut, green sleeveless shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans. Her hair was curled and she was wearing slightly smoky makeup. She was looking down at her cell phone as they walked toward the table and she obviously hadn't seen him yet. Jeff wasn't sure how this was going to go. The last time they'd seen or spoken to each other was that morning in her apartment. After they finished Troy's breakfast, they each said they'd call the other and neither had done so. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to her, he just assumed that she would call him. And then once she didn't, he figured she wasn't as interested as he thought. So hopefully this wouldn't be _too_ awkward.

---------------------

"There they are."

Raquel finished the text she was sending to Brianna and Troy and then looked in the direction John indicated. She stopped in her tracks when she saw who was sitting at the table…Jeff Hardy.

"You didn't tell me _he_ was gonna be here," her eyes narrowed.

"I didn't?" John smiled. "My bad."

Raquel glared at her friend, "You did this on purpose?"

"Did what?" John smiled, taking her hand and pulling her toward the table.

She stumbled a little in her heels as he dragged her, "Is this payback? Is that what you're going for here?"

"Don't know what you're talkin' about Rocky," John smiled.

Matt and Jeff both stood as they reached the table.

"Such gentlemen," John smiled, putting a hand on his chest and batting his eyelashes.

Everyone rolled their eyes and John laughed a little, "Matt, this is Raquel Davenport, Raquel this is Matt Hardy. And I don't think I need to introduce this one."

"Hey," Jeff offered a small wave.

Raquel turned to Matt, smiling and shaking his hand, "Nice to meet you."

He smiled back, "You too. Any friend of John's is a friend of ours."

They all sat down and Raquel briefly considered moving when she realized she was directly across from Jeff but if she switched with Matt or John she would have been next to him so she decided to stay put. She was going to get John back for this. She hadn't had enough time to figure out how but she would. She'd made it very clear to him that she didn't want to see Jeff after the way he blew her off. How dare he not call her? What was wrong with him? There certainly wasn't anything wrong with her.

"So," John smiled, obviously enjoying her discomfort. "Is anybody else hungry? 'Cause I am _starving_…Hope your chairs are comfy. We're gonna be here for a while."

---------------------

Brianna plopped down on the couch, propping her feet up on the armrest. She didn't have any work to do for the next week and the thought of it made her smile from ear to ear. Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. There wasn't any rush. Her only appointment was with the TV, her oh so comfortable couch that she so rarely got to enjoy, and a carton full of peach ice cream in her favorite bowl.

She picked up the remote, flipping the TV on, pressing the channel button, hoping there was something worth watching.

Z hopped up onto the couch and onto her lap.

"Hi baby," she smiled, rubbing his head. She gave up on trying to find something new and just went with an old favorite, turning to The Golden Girls. She'd seen every episode more times than she could count but that didn't matter, if she wanted to watch Bea Arthur on her day off, she had every right. She laughed, remembering how she used to make John watch the show with her when they were together. She knew he secretly liked it but he always pretended that he was just putting up with it for her. He was a fan though. He seemed to have a soft spot for Blanche.

She sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. It had been a week and she still couldn't stop thinking about him. What was wrong with her?

Z crawled onto her stomach and laid down.

She opened her eyes, looking down into his, "Z…Mommy is an idiot."

He stared back at her, blinking once.

"No comment?" she smirked.

He blinked again.

"I kinda miss him," she said. "Is that weird?"

Z just stared at her.

"Well you are no help at all," she said, rubbing his head. "It's okay..I know I'm crazy..and not just because I'm asking your opinion."

Again no response.

"You miss him too, don't you?" she asked.

Z nuzzled her a little and blinked.

Brianna smiled, "I know."

She heard the door open and after a few minutes, Nick walked in, moving her feet so he could sit. Without saying a word to her, he took the remote off of her lap, changing the channel to ESPN.

She frowned, "Uh..babe?"

"Yeah?" he looked over at her.

"I was watching that," she informed him, snatching the remote back.

"Baby, _I_.." he pulled it out of her hand. "Am the one who was out working all day."

"So?" she raised a brow, growing annoyed.

He turned the volume up, leaning back against the couch, "So I get to decide what we watch."

---------------------

"So you two had sex and you haven't called her since," Matt Hardy laughed. "And now she's gonna start working with us?"

Jeff nodded, finishing his drink. That had been, quite possibly, the most awkward lunch he'd ever had the misfortune to attend. Raquel had only spoken to him once, to ask him to pass her a napkin and she was obviously making a point to be _very_ nice to Matt and, of course, Matt was loving the attention. He didn't get why she seemed to hate him so much. He hadn't called but it wasn't like she was trying desperately to get in touch with him.

"Are you insane?" Matt asked.

"Not last I checked," Jeff said.

"You have to be if you would spend a night with a girl that looks like that and not call her," Matt pointed.

"She didn't call me," Jeff pointed out.

"She doesn't have to," Matt laughed. "She's the woman."

"So?" Jeff shrugged.

Matt shook his head, "Nevermind."

---------------------

"_Why_ would you do that to me?" Raquel asked as she and John rode the elevator up to the floor they were both staying on.

"I think you know why," John smiled. "Doesn't feel so good being on the other end of the setup does it?"

"Okay what I did with you and Brianna was _completely_ different," Raquel argued. "That was just a gentle push toward an old flame…I didn't force you to have a meal with the guy that blew you off."

"Raquel he didn't blow you off," John insisted. "He _wanted_ to call he just..got nervous."

"That doesn't make any sense," Raquel rolled her eyes as they exited the elevator. "I had sex with him, it's not like I was playing hard to get."

"You were drunk off your ass," he reminded her. "He told me he was gonna call you but then he got busy and then when _you_ didn't call _him_, he just kind of figured that you regretted it."

"Whatever," she sighed. "I am so gonna get you back."

"You cant get me back I was getting you ba-"

"Baby, where have you been?"

---------------------

Raquel stared as the redhead rushed toward John, looking rather tense. She was tall, probably about 5'10" with her heels on, with red hair and green eyes. When she saw Raquel, her eyes narrowed a bit, "Who's this?"

"Paula," John sighed. "This is Raquel Davenport. I told you about her, remember?"

"Oh, right," Paula said, her voice sounding more cheerful. She smiled but Raquel got the feeling that it wasn't genuine.

"Raquel, this is..Paula," John said, briefly rubbing the back of his neck. He was beginning to look a little uneasy.

"I'm John's girlfriend," Paula smiled, extending her hand.

"His what?" Raquel stared, surprised. What the hell was John doing with a girlfriend?

Paula smiled, taking John's hand, "His girlfriend."

---------------------

Brianna slowly crept out of Maya's room, closing the door behind her. Maya had gotten home from school about an hour earlier and she wasn't feeling well. Brianna had given her some medicine and then sat with her for a while and read her a story until she got sleepy. Hopefully she'd feel a little better when she woke up.

"Bri!"

She jumped when Nick's voice boomed through the penthouse. She rushed into the living room where he was still planted on the couch watching TV.

"Nick," she kept her voice low. "I _just_ got Maya to go to sleep."

"Why is she sleeping?" Nick looked at his watch. "It's 4 in the afternoon."

"She came home with a stomach ache," Brianna said. "Didn't you notice?"

"Of course I noticed," he lied.

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest, "What did you want?"

"I wanted to know when you're gonna start dinner," Nick said.

She looked down at her bandaged hand and then back at him, "I haven't been able to cook for two weeks…That hasn't changed."

"Cant you just put a glove on it or something?" Nick asked.

"Cant you just order a pizza?" she suggested, beginning to lose her patience. "I'll cook something in a few days, I promise."

"I'm sick of ordering food," Nick sighed.

"Well I'm sorry Nick," Brianna threw her hands up. "There's nothing I can do about that right now."

She turned to go get the phone.

"Funny, you were more than willing to cook for your ex-boyfriend," Nick rolled his eyes.

She stopped, turning back around. A part of her had expected him to bring John up but after two weeks, she figured he was just more mature than she thought. Apparently she was wrong.

"You cant seriously be bringing that up," she shook her head.

"Why not?" he asked. "Am I supposed to be okay with that?"

"With me making dinner for a friend?" she said, trying to keep her voice down. "_Yes_, I would hope you would be okay with that. Besides, it was _weeks_ ago."

"A friend?" Nick laughed.

"Yes, a _friend_. Why the hell is that so funny?" she asked.

"I saw the way he was looking at you," Nick pointed. "He didn't look at you like you were just his _friend_."

"I haven't seen him in _years_ Nick," she said. "What do you think we've been fucking each other from across the country?"

"No but I think that he came here to try and get you back," Nick's voice rose as he stood up.

"_Why_ would you think that?" she asked, frustrated.

"Why shouldn't I!" Nick yelled. "I came home and found you two alone in the hallway and the way he was looking-"

"I don't wanna hear about the way you _think_ he was looking at me Nick!" Brianna yelled. "Let me make this clear..he didn't do anything. _We_ didn't do _anything_. He didn't _plan_ to see me. He ran into Raquel, Raquel invited him here. That's it. There's _nothing_ more to it!"

"Why are you defending him?" Nick asked.

"Because you aren't making any god damn sense," she threw her hands up. "Your conspiracy theory about John wanting to _take me away_ is so stupid it's making my head hurt so can we _please_ just _stop_ talking about it?"

"Do _not_ call me stupid!" he pointed, getting right in her face, causing her to stumble back.

Brianna took a deep breath, not wanting this fight to go any further. The look in his eyes was making her a little nervous.

"You're not stupid," she said calmly. "I just..I'm just trying to make you understand that he wasn't trying anything. John doesn't want me back."

"What if he did?" He stepped closer to her. "What if he had tried something? What would you have done Bri?"

"What?" she took a step back.

"I said what would you have done if he had tried to get you back?" Nick asked angrily.

Brianna opened her mouth to respond but before she could, Maya walked into the room, sleepily rubbing her eyes, "Brianna? I couldn't sleep. I heard you and Daddy yelling."

Bri glared at Nick, who was clenching his jaw tightly. She took a deep breath, turning to face the young girl, "I'm sorry sweetheart. Daddy and I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Is everything okay?" Maya asked.

"Everything is fine," Bri nodded, kneeling in front of her. "I'm gonna make dinner in a few minutes, you wanna help or you wanna try to take a nap again?"

Maya smiled, "Can I help?"

"Of course you can."

---------------------


	11. Chapter 11

Once again, reviews are encouraged and greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 11...**

_The Next Day…_

"So it looks like I'm gonna be working with Test," Raquel said, sitting on the bed in her hotel room, flipping through a magazine as she talked to her sister.

"You realize that I have no idea who that is, right?" Brianna asked.

"Didn't I tell you to start watching Raw and Smackdown?" Raquel aksed.

"You did but I haven't had time," Brianna said apologetically. "I'll set the DVR to record 'em right now, I promise."

"You better."

"I will," Bri promised. "So how's Jeff?"

"How should I know?" Raquel rolled her eyes. "You knew about John's little plan, didn't you?"

"What plan?"

"He set me up yesterday," Raquel explained. "He told me we were going to lunch with some of his friends and then when we got there..Jeff was there."

"Jeff _is_ his friend," Brianna said, amused. "That doesn't really seem like a setup to me."

"He's his friend that couldn't be bothered to call me after we had sex," Raquel said, angrily flipping through the pages.

"Raquel, you're my sister and I love you, and that is why I have to say this," Brianna said. "You need to get over yourself."

"What!" Raquel squeaked.

"You have an ego, I'm aware of that, it's one of the things that makes you you," Bri said. "But seriously, it's _not_ that big of a deal. He didn't call but _you_ didn't call him either. Phones don't only work one way."

"I shouldn't _have_ to call," Raquel insisted.

"You know what I find interesting?"

"Oh lord," Raquel leaned back against her headboard. "What?"

"All your life you've dated guys that cater to your every whim. They do all the work and give you everything you want and yet I have heard you talk about more about Jeff since you met him than I ever heard you talk about any of them."

"Because he pissed me off," Raquel said.

"Exactly," Bri said.

"Bri, it's cute that you're a hopeless romantic and all, it really works on you," Raquel said. "But I see where you're going with this."

"Where am I going?"

"You think that my talking about Jeff so much is some sort of sign that there's something there between us," Raquel sighed. "And I bet you think that us working together is gonna make me see that and we'll fight for a little while but then we'll end up having these deep feelings for each other and get married and have a bunch of babies or something."

"I don't know if I'd go that far," Bri laughed.

"You shouldn't," Raquel said. "Because that isn't gonna happen. I've been talking about him because he made me angry. He didn't call me and I'm not particularly fond of that. So now, I don't like _him_. End of story."

"Fine, fine," Bri relented. "No more romantic notions about Jeff, I promise."

"Thank you."

"As long as you promise to stop meddling with me and John."

"How many times do I have to tell you two that I wasn't meddling? I simply thought you might like to see each other," Raquel said. "You people hold a grudge for way too long. That happened weeks ago."

"Yeah well Nick went off on me earlier today because of that."

"He did what?" Raquel put her magazine down.

"We were talking and he somehow went from me not cooking dinner to me wanting to go back to John," Brianna explained.

"I wish," Raquel smirked.

"Don't start," Brianna warned.

"I'm not," Raquel said. "But you tell Officer Nick to watch his temper because if he doesn't, I wont hesitate to fly back to LA and kick his ass."

"Couples fight Raquel, you don't need to kick anyone's ass."

"Good…So," Raquel sighed. "Have you talked to John at all?"

There was a loud knock at Raquel's door and she frowned, confused. She wasn't expecting anyone.

"Who's that?" Bri asked.

"I don't know. Probably just John coming to torture me more," Raquel said. "I'll call you back in a few minutes."

"Okay, love ya."

"Love you too. Bye."

Raquel hung up the phone and walked toward the door. It must've been John. He was the only person who knew her room number. She was quite surprised at who she saw when she opened the door.

---------------------

Andrew Martin smiled at Raquel when she opened her door. She was just as gorgeous as the picture Vince showed him earlier. He was definitely going to enjoy working with this girl.

"Hi," she said, looking a little confused.

"Hey," he smiled, extending his hand. "Andrew Martin."

"Raquel Davenport," she placed her small hand in his.

"I hear you and I are gonna be working very closely together," he smiled.

She nodded, "I didn't think I was going to meet you until tomorrow morning."

"The meeting's still on," Andrew explained. "But I thought I'd stop by and introduce myself. What's the point in waiting until tomorrow?"

She nodded, "Good point…I'm just wondering, um, how did you get my room number?"

"A little flirting with the woman at the front desk," Andrew smiled. "She's a fan."

"Ah," she nodded.

"So what do you say we hit the bar downstairs and have a couple drinks," he suggested. "If we're gonna work together, we should start getting to know each other."

"I don't know, I'm a little tired," she said, running a hand through her hair.

"One drink," he smiled. "I promise I wont keep you out too late."

"One drink," she said. "But I need to change first..I'll meet you downstairs."

"Deal. I'll see you in a few."

She smiled, waving before she closed the door.

"Andrew, you are good," he smiled to himself as he walked down the hall toward the elevator. He knew dropping by was a good idea. He'd heard Jeff talking to John a few days earlier and if Raquel was anywhere near as friendly as Jeff made it seem, this was going to be quite a night.

---------------------

"So have you talked to Brianna at all?" Jeff asked as he, John, and Randy sat a the hotel bar.

"I called a few times but I guess she had her phone turned off," he shrugged.

"Or maybe she just didn't want to talk to you," Randy suggested.

"What is your problem?" Jeff asked.

"What?" Randy shrugged. "It's possible…Has she called you?"

John finished his drink, "No."

"Not yet," Jeff said. "Doesn't mean she's not going to."

"Why are you encouraging him to stay hung up on this girl?" Randy asked. "It's not healthy."

"I'm not hung up on her," John insisted. "I told you, I was just kind of hoping we could be friends."

"And you can," Jeff said.

"Not if she's avoiding you," Randy smirked.

"Aren't you supposed to be his friend?"

"I am," Randy nodded. "Which is why I don't like this."

"What?" Jeff stared.

"He was hung up on his ex for a _long_ time, he finally gets over her and now she just pops up out of nowhere to screw with him. I don't like it."

"She's not trying to screw with me," John insisted. "Bri's not like that."

"Whatever you say," Randy shrugged. "I think she likes jerking you around. She probably wants to pay you back for cheating on her."

"Randy, you don't know her," John said. "And you two act like I've been crying over her. It sucks that she hasn't called but I'm fine. Let's stop talking about it."

"Fine," Randy said, looking toward the door. "Let's talk about that. Hey Jeff isn't that your little girlfriend?"

Jeff looked toward the door, surprised to see Raquel walking in with Andrew Martin.

"Oh that's right," Randy smirked. "She hates you now, doesn't she?"

---------------------

Paula rolled her eyes as John's phone rang. He'd left it in their room when he went down to the bar. She got up walking over to it and looking at the display.

_Brianna_

She smiled, flipping the phone open and pressing the end button to send the call straight to voice mail. This was the third time in a few weeks that she'd had to do this. It was beginning to feel like a little game. She hadn't met Brianna but she already didn't like her. After Jeff had refused to tell her what was wrong with John she went to Randy. Randy wasn't Paula's biggest fan either but he was in a rush and just told her what was going on with John to get her out of his face. Her man moping over his ex-girlfriend was simply not acceptable. She was just going to have to make sure he forgot about her. Or at least make it seem that she was content to forget about him.

John's voice mail alert popped up and Paula shook her head. John should really learn not to store his voice mail password. He made things so easy for her. She called, nodding as the recording informed her that there was 1 new voicemail message.

"Hey John, it's Brianna…I was just calling to see how you were doing…And to commend you for tricking Raquel. She deserved a little payback. Umm..I guess you're pretty busy so just…I don't know..give me a call when you get a chance. Bye."

"Give me a call when you get the chance," Paula mocked, pressing 7 and promptly deleting the message. "I don't think he's gonna be calling you anytime soon Bri-Bri."

---------------------

Brianna hung up, setting the phone down beside her. She was about ready to give up. She meant it when she said that she wanted to be friends with John but maybe he didn't. He hadn't called her yet and she'd left him a few messages since the last time she saw him, even though she _hated_ leaving messages. She didn't want to seem like she was chasing him so she was just going to wait. If he wanted to talk, he had her number.

---------------------

Nick leaned against the wall, watching Brianna as she hung up the phone. She leaned against the couch, chewing on her thumbnail, obviously deep in thought. He knew exactly who she was thinking about. Who she had called. He was really beginning to hate this guy. Everything was going fine between him and Brianna and then John showed up and now he was competing for his fiance's attention with someone who wasn't even there. It was ridiculous. If Nick had his way, she would just forget she ever saw him again and they'd move on with their lives. He'd be damned if he was going to let some muscle head come in and take what was his. Fortunately, Brianna had a habit of leaving her cell phone around the house. A few deleted calls and hopefully Nick would get his wish.

---------------------


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12...**

Jeff opened the door to his room and was stunned when before he saw anything, he felt a hard slap across his face.

"What the _fuck_?" he stared down at Raquel. She was glaring at him angrily, arms now crossed.

"Exactly how many people did you tell?" she asked.

"_What_?" he rubbed his cheek, confused.

"I just had drinks with Andrew," she explained. "And when he brought me back to my room, he tried to shove his tongue down my throat. And when I pushed him away, he said that he didn't understand why I wouldn't be as '_nice_' to him as I was to you…Care to explain?"

"I didn't tell him anything," Jeff insisted.

"Then how does he know Jeff?" she asked angrily.

"How the hell should I know?"

"Well gee, let's think about this," she tapped her chin. "I wasn't here to tell him…who was?"

"I _didn't_ tell him," Jeff said, growing frustrated.

"Bullshit," she glared. "You were bragging about fucking a model to anyone who would listen."

He shook his head, "You know for a tiny girl you have the biggest ego I have _ever_ seen…For the last time, I _did not_ tell _anyone_ about what happened."

"I'm supposed to believe that?" she arched a brow.

Jeff was torn. Part of him wanted to close the door in her face but part of him wanted to kiss her. He could already see that he didn't like her very much but it didn't help that she was so beautiful. He felt a sting in his cheek again and his decision was made, at least momentarily.

"I don't care what you believe Raquel," he said. "I'm going to bed."

"You don't just walk out in the middle of an argument," she fumed.

"I'm not going anywhere," he smirked, stepping back a little. "You are."

With that, he closed the door.

---------------------

Raquel stared. Never in her life had someone closed a door in her face. She couldn't believe it. She didn't know what to do.

"Goodnight Raquel," Jeff said through the door, then the light coming out from the crack under the door went out. He was lucky it was late and she didn't want to make a scene. She turned, resolving to make him pay for that later. No one disrespected Raquel Davenport.

---------------------

Brianna looked over at Nick as he slept and then at the clock. The entire house was dark and quiet but she couldn't get to sleep. She looked down at the floor, laughing a little when she saw Z pacing. When she didn't sleep, he didn't sleep.

She slowly slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake her fiance. He had to be up early and he didn't usually respond well to being woken up in the middle of the night. She picked up the dog and walked out of the room, closing the door slowly until she heard a soft click.

"You really are mommy's baby, you know that?" she whispered, kissing the top of Z's head. She walked down the stairs and around the corner into the laundry room and set the dog down on top of the washing machine as she picked a pair of sweatpants and a tank top out of the basket on top of the dryer and slipped them on.

"Let's go for a walk," she picked Z up and walked toward the door, being careful not to bump into anything in the dark. "Maybe it'll tire us out."

Z seemed pleased with the idea, struggling to get out of her arms and racing toward the door. She followed, stepping into a pair of shoes and pulling one of his leashes off of the hook she kept them on. Then, she saw her phone resting on the mail table. The display was lit, signaling that she'd missed a call. She picked up the phone and her keys, slipping them into her pocket.

"Okay," she clipped it to his collar. "Let's go."

Once downstairs, she waved to the doorman on her way out then pulled the phone out of her pocket, flipping it open and viewing the missed calls. She smiled when she saw the name at the top of the list

_John_

---------------------

John was on his way back to his room after spending the last hour in the gym. He swiped the keycard silently hoping that Paula was already sleeping. He knew it wasn't the best way to think about his girlfriend but..frankly, he wasn't really in the mood for her. She'd been in his face practically every second for the past few weeks and it was starting to drive him crazy. He crept in, gently placing his gym bag on the floor but he quickly saw that there was no point. Paula was sitting on the bed, the TV providing the only light in the room.

"Hi baby," she smiled. "I was just about to call you."

"Why?" he asked. "I was just downstairs."

"I know," she said. "But I wanted to know when you were coming back. You've been out like all day."

"Sorry," he said, not bothering to sound sincere. In fact, he was trying to figure out some excuse to leave again. In another hour she'd probably be asleep. As if on cue, his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out quickly, looking to see who it was.

_Brianna_

John smiled, "I have to take this."

"John," Paula whined. "What's so important?"

"It's uh..It's my dad," he said. "I'm gonna take it outside. You try to get some sleep."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine."

"Night," he said, walking out and closing the door behind him. He quickly answered before the call went to voice mail, "Hello?"

"John?"

"Hey," he smiled at the sound of her voice.

"Sorry for calling so late," she apologized. "I didn't have my phone with me for a while so I didn't know you called."

"It's alright," he said, stepping onto the elevator. "Actually, your timing couldn't be better."

"Why's that?" she laughed.

"Just 'cause," he shrugged. "So you must be pretty busy lately."

"Actually I'm enjoying a little time off," she said. "At least for the next few days."

"Really?" he asked, surprised. "I called you a few times, I just kind of figured you were busy."

John hoped he didn't sound like a lovesick grade school kid.

"You called?" she sounded surprised. "Z, baby, don't sniff that."

John laughed, "Yeah, I left you a few messages."

"You _did_? I left _you_ messages."

John stopped walking, "You did? When?"

"I don't know, probably three or four times," she said. "I was starting to think you didn't want to talk to me."

"Why wouldn't I wanna talk to you?"

"I don't know really," she laughed a little. "It's just what I thought."

"I thought you didn't wanna talk to me," he said, scratching the top of his head, a little embarrassed.

"I did," she said quickly.

"Did you?" he smirked.

"I mean, you know, I wouldn't be opposed to it," she covered quickly.

John laughed, "That's good to know."

---------------------

_2 Hours Later…_

Brianna locked the door, hanging Z's leash back on it's hook. She'd just spent the last couple hours catching up with John. She'd walked for part of the conversation but for most of it, she and Z sat on a lounge chair by the pool. The only reason they ended the call was that her battery was dying and, though he wouldn't admit it, he was starting to sound pretty tired. She was tired as well and she needed to get up early to catch Nick before he left for work. They needed to have a little talk. She didn't want to think about it now though. She couldn't wipe the stupid smile off of her face. Maybe it was just because she was sleepy. Or maybe it was because of John. It could have been a combination of both, she wasn't sure. What she did know, was that she felt more relaxed than she had in a while. Sleep was sure to come easy.

---------------------

John smiled, looking down at his phone as he walked back to his room. His ear was a little sore because he hadn't been on the phone for that long in a while but he didn't care. It was nice talking to Brianna, hearing what she'd been doing, how happy she was with her career. He noticed that she barely ever mentioned Nick but tried not to read into it too much. What went on between the two of them was none of his business. What was his business, however, was who was trying to make sure that he didn't have the chance to talk to her. He swiped his key card and opened the door, sliding the phone into his pocket. He was too tired to deal with it now. He would handle it in the morning.

---------------------

_The Next Morning…_

Nick walked down the stairs, yawning and scratching his stomach. He smiled at the scent of bacon wafting from the kitchen. That was one of the best things about having such an open penthouse. You could always smell the food cooking. Brianna was in the kitchen looking better than any woman should look at 6 o'clock in the morning. She wore a tiny pair of black shorts and a t-shirt, her dark waves pulled up into a messy ponytail. She was sprinkling cheese over the top of an omelette that made his mouth water about as much as she did.

"Hey baby," he smiled. "You didn't have to make me breakfast."

"I didn't," she smiled. "This is for Gia and the other one is for Troy, he should be here in a few minutes. And Maya and I don't like eggs."

"Where's mine?" he asked.

"Oh there's a lot of eggs left," she smiled. "I'm sure it wouldn't take you too long to whip up somethin'."

Nick stared at her, confused, "Bri, what's going on?"

"Nothing babe," she said, getting a water bottle out of the refrigerator and walking out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Why?"

"You're acting funny," he followed her.

"Am I?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"You know what I think it could be?" she walked over to the coffee table, picking up her cell phone and flipping it open. She pressed a few buttons and then held it up, "This."

Nick stepped closer to see what she was talking about. It was her list of most recent calls and John's name was right at the top. Nick winced.

"Is there any particular reason you're so quiet _honey_?" she asked.

"Talked to John last night, huh?" Nick couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Mmhmm," she nodded. "And he told me something interesting. Wanna know what it is?"

He waited, knowing she didn't really want him to answer that.

"He told me that he's been calling me..and that he's left me at _least_ three messages. And I started wondering how that could be possible because I haven't gotten a _single_ one."

Nick nodded.

"So I was thinking about it while I was making breakfast…someone had to delete them," she said, drinking some of her water. "Gia doesn't touch my phone..Maya doesn't make a habit of listening to my voicemail and last I checked Z hadn't developed opposable thumbs so _who_ could it be Nick?"

Nick was about to apologize but she held up a hand

"Don't even bother," she shook her head. "There really isn't any reason for discussion. Besides, you have to be at work pretty soon. And if we get into this, it may take a while." She put the phone down, "But it's obvious to me that some ground rules need to be set so allow me to do that now…My cell phone and whoever calls it is _my_ business. _I_ decide who I do and do not talk to, _not you_. So in the future, if you see that John is calling and your jealousy starts to take over, I suggest you step back and take a deep breath, do _whatever_ it is you have to do to keep yourself from pulling this crap again because if you do…I highly doubt that I will be so understanding."

"Brianna you don't understand," he said.

"No I do understand," she argued. "I get that you don't like the idea of an ex boyfriend coming back into my life. If I were in your position, I might not like it either. But there are some things in life that we just have to deal with. I have learned to live with a _lot_ for you, the least you can do is put up with a couple phone calls."

Nick gritted his teeth, "Fine."

"Good," she smiled. "I'm glad we understand each other. Have a good day at work babe."

---------------------

Paula frowned, staring down at John's phone. Something was wrong with it.

"Lookin' for something?"

She jumped, dropping the phone, looking over her shoulder. She hadn't heard the shower stop running. John was standing in the bathroom doorway in his boxers, "The passcode isn't stored anymore if that's what has you looking confused."

"Why would that matter to me baby?" she asked. "I was just looking to see what games you have."

"Really?" John asked. "'Cause I thought you were checking to see if any other women called me..and then making sure I never find out if they did."

She laughed, nervous, "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know why you did it Paula," he shrugged.

"I wouldn't do that," she argued.

"Come on now," John laughed. "Look, I know Jeff and Randy love me but neither of them are the sneaky type. When they get jealous, they bring their issues straight to me and we talk things out."

Paula laughed, "You're crazy."

"No I'm not," he shook his head. "Paula I wanna explain something to you."

"What?"

"Brianna isn't some ring rat calling because she wants to hook up with me. She's not someone that you need to see as a threat," John said. "She _is _someone that I want to talk to and _will _talk to, whenever I want."

Paula knew there was no way out of this so she just nodded, not saying a word.

"Now, I don't need you to admit anything because we both know what happened," he said. "Like I said earlier, the passcode isn't stored in my phone anymore so like it or not, if she leaves me a message, I'll get it. I don't wanna fight about this, I just want you to know what's going on."

"And what if I don't like it?" she asked. "What if I'm not okay with you talking to her?"

John shrugged, "Then I don't know what to tell you."

---------------------

**The next chapter of the story will take place afteroneor two months (haven't decided which) have passed…and I _promise_, for those wondering when it's coming, starting in chapter 13 there will be a _lot_ more John and Brianna interaction.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13...**

_2 Months Later…_

"Look," Randy pointed as he and Jeff walked into the arena. "Your favorite person."

Jeff looked ahead of them, rolling his eyes when he saw Raquel. She was walking with Trish. Those two had become good friends over the past couple months. They were practically joined at the hip. It was a little confusing to Jeff. He and Trish had been friends for a while and Raquel hated every fiber of his being. She looked over her shoulder, rolling her eyes when she saw him.

"She really knows how to hold a grudge," Randy smirked.

"I cant stand that woman," Jeff shook his head.

"You know, she's not as bad as you think," Randy said.

"You would say that," Jeff said. "She's just like you. You should ask her out."

Randy shook his head, "Raquel is beautiful and she's a friend..but that's all it's gonna be…She's not my type."

"Why not?"

"Our two egos couldn't fit in one relationship," Randy laughed.

"So basically you want a woman you can walk all over?" Jeff suggested.

"Not _exactly_," Randy laughed. "Well..kind of."

"Nice," Jeff laughed.

"I know what kind of woman _you_ want," Randy smirked.

"And what kind is that?"

"That kind," he pointed to Raquel.

Jeff shook his head, "Never again."

---------------------

"You really need to stop hating Jeff."

"I don't hate him," Raquel looked over at her friend. "I just don't _like_ him…At all."

Trish had been trying to get her to give Jeff a chance for weeks. Eventually, she was just going to give up.

Trish sighed, "Whatever."

Raquel smiled, glad the subject was dropped as they walked into the women's locker room. She was a little surprised to see Brooke Hogan there, sitting with Torrie Wilson. Brooke had been at the past few shows because of a storyline with Randy but she didn't typically spend time in the locker room.

"So are you excited?" Torrie asked.

They'd all been informed at a meeting the day before that Brooke would be performing her song 'About Us' at Summerslam.

"I'm a little nervous," Brooke admitted.

"Why?" Torrie asked. "You'll be great."

Raquel was about to tune them out and talk to Trish but then she heard something that piqued her interest.

"The choreographer we used for the video..She was good but..I don't know," Brooke shrugged. "She's not exactly what I want."

Raquel put down her bag, trying not to look like she was eavesdropping.

"Well who would you want to do it?" Torrie asked.

"I mean, I'd love to get someone like Brianna Kavner," Brooke answered.

"Who's that?"

Raquel smirked at Torrie's question.

"She's one of the best choreographers in the business," Brooke explained. "She's worked with, like, everyone."

Raquel felt a smug smile touch her face at Brooke's praise for her sister.

"Then why don't you try and get her?" Torrie asked.

"Because she probably costs way more than my record company would ever allow," Brooke said, leaning against the wall.

Raquel took this opportunity to turn toward them, "I'm sorry to interrupt..but did I hear you say you wanted to work with Brianna Kavner?"

Brooke looked surprised and a little confused, "Yeah, Why?"

Raquel smiled, "What would you do if I told you that I can make that happen?"

Brooke looked skeptical, "How?"

Raquel pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed her sister. She pressed the button to put her on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Bri?"

"Yes ma'am," Brianna responded, sounding a little out of breath.

Brooke's mouth dropped open.

"What are you doing?"

"Working as usual," Brianna answered. "I told you I'm doing the Robin Thicke video."

"Oh that's right," Raquel looked over at Brooke. "Listen, I need you to do me a favor."

"Is it legal?" Bri asked.

"As far as I'm aware."

"Okay then," Brianna said. "What's up?"

"Do you wanna talk to her?" Raquel offered.

Brooke's mouth was still wide open. She recovered a little, nodding.

Raquel took the phone off of speaker and then handed it to Brooke. She turned to Trish, smiling as Brooke explained who she was to Brianna and what she needed.

---------------------

Brianna looked up as the makeup artist touched up her mascara. She had kept her promise to Raquel and started watching Raw and Smackdown so she knew who Brooke Hogan was. She couldn't exactly recall her song though. The makeup artist finished with her mascara and then Bri felt someone toying with her hair.

"Well," Brianna said. "I have kind of a rule. Before I agree to do any work with an artist, I have to have a little sit down with them, lunch, dinner, whatever…just to make sure I get a good vibe."

"I totally understand that," Brooke said. "Would it be possible to set that up now?"

Brianna looked over at the set, Robin was still talking to the director so she had a few minutes.

"Sure," she shrugged.

"You name the time and place," Brooke said. "I'll figure out some way to get there."

Brianna laughed, the girl was certainly enthusiastic.

"Well," she said. "I'm in Miami at the moment."

"I live in Miami!" Brooke exclaimed. "And we're supposed to be there on Monday for Raw."

"I'll still be here then," Brianna said.

"You will?" Brooke asked. "That's perfect."

Robin seemed to be finishing up sooner than expected. A few people were looking expectantly in Brianna's direction.

"Just get my number from Raquel and call me when you're here, we'll set up a lunch."

"I will," Brooke said. "Thank you _so_ much!"

"No problem," Brianna smiled. "I better get going, I'm holding up production…I'll see you soon."

---------------------

Trish crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing her friend, "You are _so _up to something."

Brooke had just left to tell her father the good news and Torrie went off to find Candice to talk about their bra and panties match later on that night.

Raquel smiled, "What ever do you mean?"

Trish had been filled in on Raquel's sister's past with John, Raquel's dislike for Brianna's fiancé Nick, and her friend's desire to push John and Brianna back together.

"You could care less about Brooke's performance and you know it," Trish pointed.

"I'm not _that _mean," Raquel insisted. "Brooke wants a great choreographer and Bri is the best out there. If that means my sister has to travel with us for a little while to help her out, then so be it."

"And if that makes it a little easier for you to get her and John together?" Trish smirked.

Raquel smiled, "Then that's just a bonus."

"What makes you so sure they _want_ to get together?" Trish asked. "John is with Paula and Brianna's getting married."

"_Paula_ is a _bitch_," Raquel said. "And my sister has been claiming she's too busy to set a wedding date since they day that loser proposed."

Trish nodded, "Yeah, Paula is a bitch…But-"

"No but's," Raquel held up a hand. "Do you know even though they're both working _constantly_, John and Bri have talked twice a week for the past two months?"

"Really?" Trish asked. "That's kinda cute."

Raquel nodded, "Once I get them within a few feet of each other…it's only a matter of time.

---------------------

_Sunday…_

_Miami_

"So she's coming tonight?" Trish asked as she, Raquel and Maria rode back to the hotel.

Raquel nodded, "I talked to her about it last night when we got in."

Raquel was arranging a dinner for some of her friends that night.

"So we _finally_ get to meet your sister?" Maria asked.

"Both sisters actually," Raquel smiled. "Gia's here with her."

"Even better," Trish said. "We've heard so much about them, I feel like I know them already."

"And John is coming?" Maria asked.

Raquel nodded.

"Did you invite Paula?" Maria asked. "Because I would _love_ to see the look on her face with your sister there."

"I gave John the option to bring her," Raquel said. "As long as she doesn't speak to me, everything will be fine."

"Is Jeff coming?" Trish smirked.

"You always have to go there, don't you?" Raquel looked over at her friend.

"I'm just asking," Trish laughed.

"You know she gets all touchy when you bring him up," Maria teased.

Raquel shook her head, "Sometimes I wonder why I talk to you two."

---------------------

Brooke waited at the table, looking around. She was at the Blue Door Terrace, located in the Hotel Delano, one of Miami's best. Brianna was staying in one of the bungalows and asked her to meet here there at 1. It was already 1:30 but Brooke was trying not to worry. She seemed really nice on the phone. Too nice to just ditch her.

"I am _so_ sorry."

Brooke turned when she heard the voice behind her. Brianna rushed toward her, "I swear I'm not always this late."

Brooke was a little surprised. For some reason, because she had such a great reputation and had been working in the business for so long, Brooke forgot that she was only a four years older than her.

"I just finished filming with Robin at 6 o'clock this morning," Brianna explained, sitting across from her. "I figured I would come back here and get a little sleep before our lunch and I slept right through my alarm."

"Really, it's okay," Brooke assured her. "Did you get a chance to listen to the song?"

Brianna nodded, "I did."

"And?"

"And there's a lot that I could do with it," Brianna said.

"There is?" Brooke tried not to get too excited. "So does that mean you'll do it?"

Brianna nodded, "Sure. I'd love to."

"You will?" Brooke squeaked.

Bri nodded again.

"Oh my gosh!" Brooke reached across the table and hugged her.

"I'm sorry," Brooke apologized. "I'm just excited."

"It's okay," Brianna smiled. "It's good to know I have that effect on people."

The waiter came over and both of them placed their orders. Now, Brooke realized, it was time for her to explain a couple things.

"There's kind of an issue with my hiring you," Brooke said, a little nervous.

"What?" Brianna drank some of her water.

"I haven't exactly cleared this with the record company," Brooke explained. "And I know they'd be _thrilled_ to have you work with me but as far as your salary.."

"Don't worry about it," Brianna waved it off. "This one's on the house."

"_What_?" Brooke stared.

Brianna shrugged, "I'm not hurting for money, a freebie isn't gonna kill me."

Brooke was amazed. This was way too good to be true.

Brianna's phone beeped in her purse and she pulled it out, "Sorry, it's just a text from my sister. She's shopping."

Brooke nodded.

"Okay, done," Brianna put the phone back in her purse.

Brooke wrung her hands under the table.

"Are you okay?" Brianna asked. "You look a little nervous again."

"Well, there's another thing," Brooke said. "I have to travel with the WWE for the next few weeks to keep this angle with Randy going…and that means that to get ready for this performance, I would need you with me."

Brianna raised a brow, "You'd want me to travel with you?"

Brooke nodded, "I _know_ that's a lot to ask and I totally understand if you change your mind."

"I'm not changing my mind," Brianna said. "I _am_ gonna have to think about it a bit more. Tell you what…I have a shoot with Kelis on Wednesday. Why don't you come by? I'll let you know my decision then."

Brooke nodded, "That sounds great."

---------------------

"I cant decide which dress I wanna wear tonight," Raquel said, looking down at her bags as she, Trish, and Maria walked into the hotel lobby.

"The red one," Maria said.

"Yeah, I vote red," Trish agreed.

"Ladies!"

Raquel looked around when she heard Shane's voice. She quickly spotted him walking toward them with a man she didn't recognize. He was very good looking. Tall with short dark brown hair and green eyes. He work a dark gray suit with a white shirt underneath.

"Who is _that_?" Maria whispered.

"I think we're about to find out," Trish smiled, running a hand through her hair.

"Ladies," Shane said again as they approached. "I want to introduce you to the newest addition to our legal team."

A Lawyer? She hadn't even heard him speak but as far as she was concerned, he was already perfect.

"This is Victor Allen," Shane said. "Victor, I'd like you to meet Raquel Davenport, Maria Kanellis, and Trish Stratus."

"It's nice to meet you all," Victor said, shaking each of their hands. Raquel smiled up at him and he smiled back, "I don't quite recognize you."

"Raquel's been working our house shows for a little while now," Shane explained. "She's making her TV debut tomorrow night."

"That's exciting," Victor smiled. "I'm sure it'll be great."

"We all are," Maria patted her friend on the shoulder.

"You cant go wrong when you look like that," Victor smirked.

"Thank you," Raquel smiled.

All of Victor's attention was focused on her and Raquel couldn't say she minded at all.

Shane cleared his throat, "We should probably go..Victor and I have some papers to go over."

"Hmm?" Victor looked over at Shane. He obviously hadn't heard a word he said.

"Papers," Shane said. "We should go."

"Oh..right," Victor nodded. "I hope to see all of you soon."

"We'll see you later," Shane waved as they walked away.

"So..does he want to see all of us or just all of _Raquel_?" Maria laughed.

"I think it's the second one," Trish nodded.

"He was _hot_," Maria shook her head. "I'm jealous."

Raquel smiled, "Yeah, he's not bad."

---------------------

Brianna parked her car on the circle drive in front of her grandfather's house. Every time she saw the huge old house memories flooded back to her. She'd spent quite a few summers going between here and her mother's Miami apartment. John had even come to visit a few times. She got out of the car, leaving her purse on the passenger seat. The house was gated so she didn't have anything to worry about. She walked to the door, pulling her key out of her pocket and unlocking one of the large wooden double doors.

"Grandpa," she called.

"Brianna?" his cheerful voice rang out from the room to her left. The front living room was Rodrigo's favorite room in the house. It was right off of the kitchen and was where he kept most of the sports memorabilia he'd collected over the years. It was also where her grandmother had let him keep his comfy old furniture. She'd never been a big fan of it but she never had the heart to tell him to get rid of it.

"How's my favorite girl?" he hugged her tightly when she entered the room.

"Not too bad," she smiled, hugging him back. "How are you?"

"Pretty good for an old man," he patted her back. "I didn't know you were coming."

"You know I couldn't come to Miami without seeing you."

"You better not," he said, still hugging her. He finally let her go, taking a step back to look at her.

"Hey Pops, the steaks are off the grill and ready for consumption."

Brianna's eyes widened when she saw John walk out of the kitchen in a 'Kiss The Cook' apron. She knew her grandfather loved John. They'd bonded over a football game the first time they met and they grew closer every time she ever saw them talk but as far as she knew, after she broke up with him, the two men hadn't seen or spoken to each other.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"He visits me every time he's in Miami," Rodrigo explained.

"He does?" Brianna asked, confused.

"And he sends me tickets to every show in the area," Rodrigo smiled proudly.

"You do?" she looked over at her ex.

"Brianna you wanna..help me with the steaks..in the kitchen?" he suggested, giving her a pointed look.

She nodded, "Sure."

She led the way into the kitchen , turning to face him.

"Are you okay with this?" he asked, looking as if he felt a little guilty for not telling her.

"Yeah," she reached up, opening one of the cabinets and pulling out two plates, a medium sized one and a larger one. "I'm just.._surprised_."

She put the plates down next to the pan with the steaks, "How long have you been visiting him?"

"After I heard about your grandmother," he said, getting forks and knives out of the drawer next to her. "I couldn't make it to the funeral..but I made it down about a week later and came to see him for a little while and then, I don't know..I've been coming to see him whenever I'm in the area since then."

"That was four years ago," she looked up at him, even more surprised. All this time and her grandfather had never said a word.

John nodded.

"And he comes to all your shows?" Brianna smiled.

John nodded, putting one steak on the smaller plate and two on the other, "Never misses one."

She laughed a little, pulling some glasses out of another cabinet, "I never even knew he _liked_ wrestling."

"Likes it?" John smirked. "He used to _do_ it."

She stared, "What?"

"You didn't know?" he laughed.

She shook her head slowly. This was too many surprises for one day, "_My_ grandfather used to _wrestle_?"

John smiled, nodding, "He started when he was 16. He and his brother would come up to Mexico and he'd do shows."

Brianna sat up on the counter, listening as John relayed her grandfather's hidden past. All her life, he'd owned and operated a construction company. She never knew he did anything else.

---------------------

"You're great uncle wasn't as into it as he was but he still traveled with him. He actually got pretty big."

"Really?" she smiled.

John nodded. He couldn't help but think it was cute that Brianna seemed so interested. Her green eyes were focused on him, encouraging him to continue.

"When he met your grandmother she didn't have any problem with it," he said. "She even came with him sometimes."

"My _grandmother_ watched wrestling?" Brianna laughed. "No way."

"Ana only watched Pops," John laughed. "But then when she got pregnant, she asked him to take a break to be home with her and he did. He started working construction and took care of her. After your mom was born, Ana said she was okay with him starting back up again. He still had quite a name on the scene so it wasn't hard for him to get back into it."

She nodded, listening intently.

"He stayed on the circuit 'til your mom was about 2 or 3 but then he started getting booked more and more and spending less time at home and Ana wasn't okay with it anymore. She wanted him there for her and your mom. She gave him an ultimatum and he gave it up. He fulfilled his last few obligations and that was it. He went back to construction.

Bri shook her head, "I never knew _any_ of that. My grandfather was a wrestler..That's so.._cool_."

John smiled, "Yeah it is…Some of the older guys in the business remembered hearing of him. You should have seen him first time he came to see a show."

"Wow," she smiled. "And to think, I thought construction was like, his entire life."

"Not quite."

They turned to see Rodrigo at the entrance to the kitchen.

"Papa," she got down from the counter. "How come you never told me any of this?"

He shrugged, "You never asked."

"Well now I'm asking," she smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. "I want stories..Good one."

John put an arm around her shoulders, "You've gotta see the pictures."

"There's pictures?" she smiled up at him.

"Oh yeah," John nodded.

Brianna smiled, "Now _this_ I have to see."

---------------------

Raquel walked down the hall to the elevator. She forgot a bag in Trish's rental and the shoes she wanted to wear that night were in it. The elevator opened and she smiled when she saw who was already on it. Victor was leaning against the wall, looking down at his cell phone. When he saw her, he stood up straight, putting the phone in his pocket.

"Well hello again," he smiled.

She smiled back, "You and Shane done with your papers?"

He nodded, "For today, yes."

"Are you enjoying your new job so far?" she asked.

He smiled, looking her up and down, "It definitely has it's perks."

She raised a brow, "Oh really?"

He nodded.

The doors opened and they walked out together.

"Do you have any plans for dinner tonight?" he asked.

She winced, "Actually..I do."

"Okay," he said. "How about lunch tomorrow?"

"I don't have any plans yet," she smiled.

"I was planning on a lonely lunch alone, probably still looking over a few months worth of legal documents," he smirked. "Care to make my day a little less pathetic and join me?"

"I'd like that."

---------------------

"Papa I cannot believe you didn't show me these before," Brianna shook her head, looking at a picture of her grandfather in wrestling trunks and white boots, flexing his muscles. She was sitting on the floor, looking through Rodrigo's huge trunk full of wrestling memories. John was on the floor beside her and Rodrigo was sitting in a chair next to her.

"I didn't think you'd be interested," Rodrigo shrugged.

"Why not?" she asked. "It's actually pretty fascinating."

"Raquel and I are slowly but surely turning this one into a wrestling fan," John tugged at her ponytail.

She laughed, pushing his hand away.

"That's good," Rodrigo smiled. "It's in your blood."

The older man closed the album he had on his lap and a picture fell out, drifting onto the floor.

It was of a beautiful young woman with long, light brown hair holding a little girl. When she looked into the woman's brown eyes, she recognized her immediately.

"Is this _grandma_?"

Rodrigo nodded, "That's Ava and your mother."

Bri smiled, looking at her grandmother. She missed her terribly.

"My girls," Rodrigo smiled, touching the pictures. "And you take after both of them. Absolutely beautiful."

Brianna laughed, leaning away as he tried to pinch her cheek.

"John can see it," Rodrigo pointed.

Brianna looked over at John and he nodded, "Yeah..she is beautiful."

Brianna felt her face getting a little warm at John's comment and she looked away quickly, turning her attention to the clock. She was shocked to see what time it was. It felt like she'd only been there for an hour when in fact it had been almost three.

"Wow, I should really get going," she said, standing up.

"Damn," John laughed when he looked over at the clock. "I should probably go too."

"You two better come back soon," Rodrigo pointed.

"We will," Brianna promised, hugging him tightly.

"You can count on that," John added.

"Get over here and hug me, Rodrigo waved John over. John did as he was told, laughing when Rodrigo lightly smacked him upside the head.

"We'll see you later papa," Brianna waved. "Love you."

"I love you too."

"I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow," John said as they walked out of the room and toward the door.

"Tomorrow?" Brianna looked up at him as he held the door open for her.

"He's coming to Raw," John explained.

"Ah," she nodded. "Gia and I are going to..we couldn't miss Raquel's first night on TV."

They walked down the stairs and toward their cars in comfortable silence.

"So that was fun," she smiled, unlocking the doors. "And unexpectedly enlightening."

"It was fun," he nodded. "We should do this more often."

She nodded, "Yeah..we should."

He smiled at her and she told herself to look away. His smile had always had an effect on her. It always would. There was just something about it.

"I should uh..she looked down at her keys. "I should go."

"Me too," he said. "I gotta get to dinner soon."

"So do I," she said, opening her car door. She stopped, her eyebrow arched as she looked up at John. He looked as if he was thinking the same thing she was. "Raquel?"

He nodded, "Yup."

She laughed and John shook his head. Her sister just couldn't help herself.

"Should we really be surprised?" she laughed.

"Probably not," he smirked. "She doesn't give up, does she?"

"No she doesn't," Brianna laughed. "Before we leave..can I..talk to you about something?"

"Of course," he leaned against the car. "What's up?"

"It's kind of..odd."

---------------------

John felt himself get a little tense. The nervous way she was wringing her hands was making him a little anxious. If this was her inviting him to her wedding, or worse, telling him she was pregnant, he was going right back into the house and downing a few bottles of tequila with Rodrigo.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Well," she sighed. "I had a meeting with Brooke Hogan today."

John felt a weight lift from his shoulders. After that wore off, he was just curious.

"You did?" he asked. "About what?"

"She wants me to help her out with her performance at Summerslam," Bri explained.

If Brooke wanted Brianna's help then that would mean Brianna would be around…A lot.

He smiled, "Are you gonna do it?"

"I'm not too sure," she admitted.

"Why not?"

"Because..well, 'cause Brooke is traveling with you guys for the time being," she reminded him. "Which means that she would want _me_ to do the same to make sure she's ready. She'd need to work on it almost every day."

John nodded.

"I guess I'm just bringing it up because I..I kind of wanted to know what you think about it," she shrugged, looking down at her hands.

"Are you kidding?" he laughed. "I think it's great."

She looked surprised, "You do?"

Something about the look in her eyes was almost..hopeful. Like she wanted him to want her to accept the offer.

He did.

"You on the road with us?" he smiled. "It'd be _great_..I think you should do it."

"That's good to know," she smiled. "I'm definitely gonna think about it.

---------------------

**So...What do you all think?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14...**

_That night…_

Trish smiled as the bartender placed her drink in front of her. She, Raquel, and Maria were sitting at the bar, waiting for a call from Brianna before they went back to the table. Trish couldn't help but notice that Raquel kept shooting angry glances at Jeff out of the corner of her eye.

"You know, if you're trying to kill him," Trish smirked. "I think you have to get a little closer to him."

"_Why_ did John make me invite him?" Raquel asked.

"Because he's our friend," Maria piped up. "You're not gonna spend the whole night eyeing him are you?"

Raquel rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't waste my time."

"Good," Maria smiled.

"Speaking of wastes of time," Trish looked toward the table. "I see John brought Paula."

"Should make for an interesting dinner," Maria said.

"She better make sure she doesn't step out of line with my sister," Raquel declared.

"Raquel," Andrew walked over, draping an arm over her shoulders. "_Why_ cant we eat yet?"

"Andrew, I told you before," Raquel sighed. "We can eat when my sisters get here."

Andrew smirked, "Are your sisters as hot as you?"

"_You_ are not allowed to touch _either_ of them," Raquel pointed.

"Party pooper."

---------------------

"So is John's girlfriend gonna be here?" Gia asked as Brianna parked the car.

Bri sighed, "Yeah, he said he was bringing her."

"You don't sound too happy about it," Gia said.

Bri shrugged, "Why would I care?"

"No reason," Gia said as they got out of the car.

They walked toward the door in silence. Bri pulled her cell phone out of her purse. She stopped, turning to her sister, "How do I look?"

"You look great," Gia said. "Why do you keep asking me?"

"I've only asked you like twice," Brianna said.

"Try four times," Gia corrected her sister. She smiled, "So..any particular reason you're so concerned?"

"Please don't start," Bri pointed. "I'm gonna have Raquel analyzing everything I do and say all night, I don't need you doing it too."

"Fine, fine," Gia put her hands up. "I'm done."

"Thank you."

---------------------

Paula looked over at John, who had been casting glances at the door since they got there. She was really getting sick of it.

"What's the matter Paula?" Jeff smirked. "You look a little tense."

She glared at him, "Why would I be tense Jeff?"

He smiled, not answering her question. She was tempted to throw something at him but she knew John wouldn't want her making a scene. She looked over at her boyfriend, rolling her eyes when she saw him looking down at his phone.

"_John_," she crossed her arms.

"What?" he looked up, putting the phone back in his pocket.

"You're ignoring me," she snipped.

"How am I ignoring you?" he asked.

"By not speaking to me?" she suggested.

"I've been speaking to you," he argued.

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

---------------------

John gave up. Paula had been in a bad mood all day because of this dinner and if he hadn't been able to change it yet, he wasn't going to.

Raquel's phone rang just as she returned to the table and she answered it quickly, "Hey, where are you?...We're not too far from the door. It's a big table, I'm sure you'll see us……Okay..…Bye."

John turned toward the door. Gia came in first with Brianna a couple steps behind her. Bri looked beautiful. She was wearing a short white dress that was sliding off of one shoulder with a ruffled skirt and a brown belt sitting low on her hips. Her brown waves were pulled up in a slightly messy French twist. She spotted the table and when his eyes caught hers, a wide smile spread across her face. He smiled back, waving. A part of him was tempted to walk over to her and wrap his arms around her but that might be a little inappropriate. She and Gia made their way over, and Raquel rushed toward them, hugging both of them tightly.

"Everyone," Raquel smiled as she let them go. "These are my sisters, Gia and Brianna."

"Hi," Brianna waved.

Gia smiled.

"Bri, Gia, I'd like you to meet Trish Stratus, Maria Kanellis, Matt Hardy, Brian Kendrick, Andrew Martin, Randy Orton, you've already met Jeff and of course you know John."

John heard Paula clear her throat loudly.

"Oh right, and that's Paula," Raquel said flippantly, taking her seat.

John wasn't sure if he'd imagined it or not but he could swear Brianna's smile fell a little when she looked in Paula's direction.

"Nice to meet you," Brianna said.

Paula didn't say anything. John looked over at her and she forced a smile and a wave.

If this was a sign of things to come…it was going to be a long night.

---------------------

"So what do we want to eat?" Randy asked no one in particular.

"I haven't decided yet," Brianna looked down at her menu.

"You know you're just gonna get the same thing you always get," John smirked at her across the table.

"Hey!" she laughed. "I am not."

"Yes you are," John said. He spoke to the rest of the table, "She always does the same thing..she tricks herself into thinking she's gonna check out the menu and maybe try something new, she makes everybody wait forever while she decides and then, it _never_ fails, she gets fettuccine or grilled chicken Caesar salad."

"That is not true," she pointed, laughing. "_Occasionally_ I get lasagna."

"Yeah, like twice a year," Raquel laughed.

"Just because _you_ will eat anything as long as someone convinces you it's dead, does not mean that _I_ have to be that way," Brianna playfully glared at John.

"Don't get testy," John smiled. "I think your five meals of doom are cute."

Brianna rolled her eyes, shaking her head and looking down at her menu again. Everyone joined the conversation, some laughing saying they make take Brianna's approach and others just naming random dishes to see if anyone else agreed that they sounded good. John wasn't saying much of anything. He was trying to make it look like he was scanning his menu but Randy could see that his eyes were on Brianna. Randy looked down at his own menu, feeling himself getting a headache. John was a good guy but sometimes Randy thought he was just hopeless. John had convinced himself that he just wanted to be friends with his ex but here he was, sneaking glances at her like a love struck teenager. Randy didn't understand people like that. He'd never been big on relationships. He'd had a few but he always ended up getting bored. Or they got too possessive and he got the hell out. But John had allowed himself to get sucked into 'love' or whatever it was with this ex-girlfriend and he'd never been able to get out. From what Randy had seen in his lifetime, love was losing control of your emotions and common sense and letting someone have an insane amount of control over you. If that was what it was, Randy was glad he'd never been in love.

"I think Paula's gonna bust a vein," Jeff leaned over, laughing quietly.

Randy looked over at her.

"You know, I don't like Paula but..I can see why she's pissed," Randy said.

"Who cares why she's pissed?" Jeff laughed.

"Wouldn't you be pissed if you had to watch your girlfriend drool over her ex?" Randy asked.

"Probably," Jeff nodded. "But I still think this is funny…Because it's Paula the bitch from hell."

Randy had to admit, it was pretty amusing. He didn't like Paula much either but not for exactly the same reasons as Jeff. He just thought she was stupid. And her voice grated on his nerves. She wasn't exactly the best girlfriend to John but as far as Randy was concerned, it was a healthy relationship. Paula was too much of an idiot for John to really fall head over heels for her so in the end, he couldn't really get hurt.

"Brianna seems cool," Jeff said.

Randy shrugged, "I guess."

"Are you still on that 'she's gonna break John's heart all over again' kick?" Jeff asked. "Because you know that makes you seem like a jealous girlfriend, right?"

"I'm not a jealous girlfriend," Randy laughed. "It's about pride. I don't want her to make John look like an idiot for the sake of his pride and for mine."

"Yours?" Jeff looked confused.

"How does it make me look if my best friend is an idiot?" Randy asked.

Jeff laughed, more out of amazement than amusement, "You really do know how to make everything about you, don't you?"

Randy nodded, "_Everything_."

---------------------

_2 Hours Later…_

Everyone had moved out of their private room into the open area of the restaurant where there was a dance floor and a bar surrounded by some booths. Brian Kendrick looked around, taking in the scenery. All of the girls were sitting at a booth and Brian noticed that Raquel, Brianna, and Gia were all sitting next to each other.

"Dude…they're dad must be like, a god or something," Brian shook his head. "How does one man have _three_ kids that hot?"

They didn't exactly look alike but they were all hot. Raquel was the shortest at about 5'4". Her hair was chestnut brown and her eyes were a pale shade of green. Brianna was the tallest, probably 5'7" or 5'8". Her hair was a lighter, more warm shade of brown and her eyes were almost a grassy shade of green. Gia was in the middle as far as height at about 5'6" and her hair was a very dark, almost black, her eyes a perfect mix of green and brown. And the bodies…he didn't even want to go into that.

"I'm not sure it's him," John said. "Gia's mom is Marianna DePedrini, she was an Italian model and an actress. Bri's mom is Elena Tavares, she was a Brazilian model, mainly swimsuits and lingerie. And Raquel's mom is Diana Davenport, she was born in Florida I think and she was _also_ a model, more runway type stuff."

"Well that explains it," Brian nodded. "Although, I think that still _technically_ qualifies him as a god."

"So which one would you pick?" Andrew asked. "Because I cant decide. I mean, the young one is cute, the middle one..she's got the biggest rack and ass for days..and Raquel, _oh man_."

"I think I'd go for the youngest one," Brian smiled.

John cleared his throat, "You do realize I haven't walked away yet, right?"

"Sorry," Brian said nervously. John had made it very clear earlier that Gia was like a little sister to him and was _absolutely_ off limits.

"It's not like you're related," Andrew said.

"Yeah but we're close enough for me to kick both your asses," John warned. "Got it?"

Both men nodded, "Got it."

---------------------

Paula rolled her eyes as she looked out on the dance floor. Brianna had somehow gotten Jeff to dance with her and he was completely embarrassing himself as she stood danced around him, laughing hysterically. He took her hand and spun her around then went for a dramatic dip, almost dropping her. Maria danced onto the floor with a drink in her hand and she and Brianna both danced with Jeff, all of them laughing and talking. Paula couldn't wait for this night to be over. She couldn't believe how Raquel's stupid sister was getting along with everyone. People who barely spoke to Paula and acted like she was the root of all evil were acting like Brianna was their new best friend.

_Bitch_

Brianna laughed, walking away from Jeff and Maria and over to the table where John was sitting with Brian and Andrew.

_Oh hell no_

Brianna took John's hand, laughing as he resisted being pulled onto the dance floor. Paula could see her saying 'Come on' and John laughing and shaking his head, telling her no. Did she know him at all? John couldn't dance to save his life. Paula had tried to get him to dance with her before and he'd always refused, telling her she didn't wanna see his moves.

Brianna held his hands, leaning back, trying hard to pull him but not moving him an inch. She pouted, dropping his hands and turning away.

John leaned his head back and then got up, taking her hand saying 'Fine, fine.'

Brianna laughed, pulling him onto the floor with her. Paula stared, mouth hanging open as they danced. Well, she danced and John just kind of watched and bobbed his head to the music. Paula shook her head, she was going to have to put a stop to this.

---------------------

"Come on," Brianna laughed, playfully shoving John's chest. "_Move_."

"Woman you know I cant dance," he laughed.

"I know," she laughed. "But you could at least try."

"What good is all that booty if you don't shake it a little?" she smirked. He laughed, still not moving much. The song changed. This one was slower. It wasn't a ballad or anything just..more calm than the salsa number that had just played. He took her hand and with one quick motion, she was pressed against him.

She giggled, "Oh so now you wanna be all smooth?"

"You're the one who wanted me to dance," he smiled.

Brianna smiled back. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this close to him but she'd certainly missed it. And the way he was smiling at her was making her a little short of breath. She knew she should probably pull away but her brain wasn't sending the right signals to the rest of her body.

---------------------

John knew he shouldn't but he was thoroughly enjoying having Brianna so close to him. He had one of her hands in his and his other hand was at the small of her back. She looked and smelled and felt so good he knew that if they didn't pull away from each other soon he would just get lost in her.

"Excuse me!"

John tensed and felt Brianna jump and pull away, looking over his shoulder. He turned to see Paula standing behind him, hands on her hips.

"I need to talk to you."

John sighed, "Okay ba-"

"Not you," she cut him off. "_Her_."

---------------------

Jeff pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. He knew it was getting pretty late. The display on his phone told him he had a new message.

_Meet me outside - Raquel_

He looked around, sure that someone was playing a joke on him. The last time he saw her, she was dancing with his brother. He spotted Matt but no Raquel. Why would she want him to meet her outside? He sighed, knowing he wasn't going to find out by just standing there. He placed his phone back in his pocket as he walked out the door, looking around for Raquel. He finally spotted her walking around the corner, looking for something in her purse. He took a second to take in her appearance before she noticed him. She wore a very short red sleeveless dress with a ribbon belt that tied in a bow at her hip, her brown hair loosely curled. She really was a beautiful woman. The effect she had on him was one of the most confusing things Jeff had ever had to deal with. Every time he saw her his attraction threatened to take over, and then she would start a fight with him and the more rational part of his brain kicked in.

She looked up, zipping her bag. When she noticed him looking, she rolled her eyes, "You're staring at me."

"I wasn't _staring _at you," he said. "I was just waiting for you to look up."

"_Right_," she smirked.

"Did you ask me to come out here just to give me shit?" he said, growing annoyed. "Because normally you don't have any problem doing that in front of people."

"I asked you to come out here because I need to talk to you," she said, sitting down on a bench, setting her purse down beside her.

"About what?" he asked.

"Are you gonna sit down?" she asked.

"No."

"Fine," she sighed, standing back up. "I realize that you aren't my biggest fan."

He scoffed.

"And I don't like you very much either," she said. "But there's one person that I know we hate more than each other…Paula."

Jeff nodded, "Cant argue with that."

"And I can see that you and my sister are getting along quite well," she said.

Jeff nodded, not quite sure where she was going with this.

"So, who would you rather see John with?" Raquel asked. "the bitch or Brianna?"

"Brianna, obviously," Jeff shrugged.

"I feel the same way," she smirked. "And I think we need to make sure that happens."

"What are you talking about?" Jeff frowned.

"You and I need to make sure that Brianna and John get back together," Raquel said. "If anyone can do it, it's us…What do you think?"

"Honestly?" Jeff ran a hand through his hair. "I think you're insane."

Her mouth dropped open, "Excuse me?"

Jeff knew he was going to catch hell for it but he couldn't help it. He was not about to go along with whatever plan she had.

"Raquel, there is no way," he shook his head, turning to walk back into the restaurant.

"Why not?" she asked, rushing to stand in front of him.

"Because we are not Lucy and Ethel," he said. "I'm not getting dragged into your scheme."

"Scheme makes it sound so negative," she said.

"It _is_ negative Raquel," he said.

"How is it negative?" she asked. "It's good for both of them."

"It's completely unnecessary," he said. "Have you seen the way they've been looking at each other all night? They don't need to be manipulated. It's bound to happen. John and Brianna don't need our help."

"Of course they do," she argued. "They're stubborn."

"They cant fight it forever," Jeff replied. "And think about it…what would they think if they did get back together and then found out that it only happened because of our meddling? "

"_Why_ are you reading into this so much?" she asked.

"Because _on occasion_, I think about the consequences of my actions," he said. "And if I were to help you, this would not end well. You need to just leave them alone."

She glared at him.

"You know what you are?" he pointed. "_You_ are a control freak."

"What?" she squeaked.

"You are," he nodded. "I know that you can see that there's something there between them but you're too much of a control freak to just let things happen naturally."

"You're a hopeless romantic," Raquel accused. "You're just like Bri."

"_What_?" he stared.

"You're one of those people that just thinks oh well if it's meant to be then it _has_ to happen," she said. "You don't consider the fact that things aren't always so cut and dry. Sometimes you have to manipulate things a little."

"Says the crazy control freak," Jeff rolled his eyes.

"This was a _horrible_ idea," she picked up her purse and angrily started to walk away. "I don't know why I even asked."

Jeff shrugged, "Neither do I."

---------------------

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Brianna asked as she and Paula entered the bathroom.

Paula crossed her arms over her chest, "I think there's something you need to understand."

Brianna could understand why Paula was annoyed but at the same time, she didn't feel bad. She hadn't done anything wrong and furthermore, Paula had been a royal bitch to her all night. Hell, even before that with her little phone antics.

"And what's that Paula?" Brianna asked, leaning against the wall.

"John is _mine,_" Paula said. "Not yours."

"I don't think John _belongs_ to anyone," Brianna said. "But if the point you're trying to make is that the two of you are in a relationship…I'm well aware of that."

"Didn't look like it out there," Paula said.

Brianna shrugged, "That's what it was."

"Look, I don't appreciate your attitude," Paula pointed.

"And I don't appreciate yours but I doubt there's much I can do about it," Brianna said calmly. Paula was obviously getting irritated at Brianna's demeanor. Bri was beginning to have fun with it. The more calm she was, the more annoyed Paula looked.

"He doesn't want you," Paula glared. "He has me now."

"I never said he did want me," Brianna shrugged. "I was just dancing with a friend. I danced with Jeff, does that mean I'm trying to get in his pants too?"

"I don't _care_," Paula said, her voice getting loud. "All I care about is you staying the hell away from my boyfriend."

"Paula," Brianna sighed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "You really have nothing to worry about. John and I broke up a long time ago. I'm not interested in breaking you two up…I think you need to stop being so insecure. _You're_ the one that makes me a threat…not me."

---------------------

**There ya go...Sorry it took so long to update, I've been working like non-stop and work is a bit..well, _very_ stressful right now...Tell me what you think, hopefully you like it. Enoy!**

**Oh, I have a couple other stories that I wrote a while ago that I'm considering putting on here if anyone wants to read em...Let me know.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15...**

_Monday…_

Raquel glared at her phone, her face still smushed against her pillow. Someone had called her twice now and they had one more time before she threatened them with severe bodily harm. And she always made good on her threats. Well…almost always.

The phone rang again and she groggily reached for it, knocking it off of the nightstand.

"God damn it," she leaned over to grab it but she couldn't quite reach it. She inched forward a little and just as her fingers brushed it, she slid over the side of the bed, falling onto her back. She grabbed the phone, angrily flipping it open, "Hello?"

"Raquel?"

"No Jesus, what can I do for you my son?" she rolled her eyes. She didn't recognize the male voice on the other end of the conversation but whoever it was, they picked the wrong time to call.

"Well, I was hoping to talk to Raquel," he laughed. "I don't have too many sins to confess right now."

"Who is this?" Raquel asked, still laying on the floor.

"Victor," he answered.

"Victor?" she sat up straight, smoothing her hair a little. Then she frowned, she was on the phone, what was she doing?

"I didn't wake you up, did I?" he asked.

"You did, but I needed to get up anyway," she lied, looking over at the clock. She hadn't planned on getting up for at least another hour.

"I cant talk for too long but I wanted to catch you early to let you know I cant make it to lunch today," he sighed. "I'm stuck on conference calls until about an hour or two before the show starts. I was hoping we could reschedule."

Raquel hated being asked to reschedule. She wasn't fond of being put off for something else but he had a reason she deemed valid so she wasn't going to bitch, "Sure, we can reschedule."

"Great," he said, sounding relieved. "I should get going but we can talk about it tonight at the show."

"Sounds good," Raquel smiled.

"Okay, I'll see you later."

"Bye."

Raquel hung up the phone, climbing back up onto the bed. She set the alarm on her phone to wake her up in an hour and then placed it back on the nightstand. Time for a little extra shut eye.

---------------------

Brianna stopped at the red light, singing along to the CD she'd put in. She'd woken up that morning with Heart's 'Bebe Le Strange' stuck in her head and that prompted her to listen to a Heart CD she'd made more than a year before. The current track was Even It Up. She turned it up, singing loudly as she waited for the light to change. She rolled her eyes when her cell phone started ringing. She hated when that happened during one of her favorite songs. No matter what, it was going to interrupt. Either she let it ring and it meddled with the song or she paused her beloved Heart to answer. She opted for the latter, hoping she wasn't being called back to the rehearsal space. She'd been working with Kelis and her dancers since 6 that morning and she really wanted to get back to the hotel and get a quick nap in before she had to go pick up her grandfather.

"Hello?"

"Brianna?"

Brianna smiled when she saw Maya, "Hey kiddo..What's up?"

"Uncle Troy took me to get ice cream," Maya announced excitedly.

"He _did_?" Brianna feigned surprise. "What kind did you get?"

"Strawberry," Maya answered. "Two scoops. And the lady behind the counter said I was too cute not to have sprinkles."

"I think she's right," Brianna agreed. In Bri's mind, Maya was the cutest, most talented, intelligent child in the world. When she was younger, the last thing she ever thought she would be at 22 was a step-mother. When she was in her early teens, she had proudly proclaimed that she _never_ wanted kids. Then, as she grew older, she changed her tune but she still hadn't wanted kids until, maybe, her late 20's. But now..Brianna wouldn't trade Maya and the responsibility that came with her for anything in the world. She parked her car in the spot reserved for her.

"When are you coming home?" Maya asked.

"I'll be home Thursday morning," Bri said, trying to balance the gym back on her shoulder, the purse hanging around her elbow, her keys, and her phone as she got out of the car.

"Good," Maya said. "I don't have to go on my trip til Monday."

"Trip?" Brianna frowned, her neck beginning to hurt from pressing the phone between her ear and shoulder. "What trip?"

"Daddy said I'm spending the rest of the summer with my grandma," Maya sighed.

"Your grandma?"

She straightened up in surprise, dropping her phone.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, dropping everything else and picking it up.

"What?" Maya asked.

"Nothing sweetie," Brianna said, using her feet to push her bags toward the door and pulling her key out of her pocket. Bri knew she couldn't have been talking about Nick's mother. She rarely ever had anything to do with Nick or Maya. She hated Carla and as far as Mrs. Larranaga was concerned, Maya was nothing but an extension of the daughter in law she despised. And Carla's mother…Well there was no way she was going to stay with Carla's mother.

"Honey, is Daddy around?" Brianna asked

"Mmhmm," Maya answered.

"Can I talk to him for a minute?"

"Okay," Maya answered.

Bri opened the door to the bungalow, tossing her bags inside. She saw that Gia was asleep on the couch so she walked back outside, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Hello?"

"What the hell is going on?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" Nick immediately sounded angry.

"Maya just told me she's spending the rest of the summer with her grandma."

"She is," Nick said. "She's gonna stay with Carla's mom."

"_What_!" Brianna fumed. "Are you _insane_?"

Carla's mother was a nice person, she really was. Brianna almost felt bad for her. But she had a hard time feeling bad for someone who made excuses for a person like Carla. She understood that Carla was her daughter but there came a time when she needed to realize that Carla wasn't the same girl she raised. She was a drug addict, plain and simple.

"She's her grandmother Brianna," Nick said. "Why wouldn't I let her stay there?"

"Because that woman thinks Carla is a _saint_," Brianna said, trying somewhat unsuccessfully to keep her voice down. "She cant admit that her daughter is _fucked_ up and doesn't know how to raise her child. She doesn't understand that there is a _reason_ that we keep Maya _away_ from Carla."

Nick was about to say something but she cut him off.

"Spending the summer with Helen is spending the summer with _Carla_ and you _know_ that," Brianna said. "_How_ could you be so stupid?"

"Do _not_ call me stupid!" Nick yelled.

Brianna tried to keep calm but it was nearly impossible, "Do you remember the last time you let Carla take Maya for a few days?"

Nick was quiet.

"When we came to pick her up she was in a closet, hiding," Brianna said, almost shaking she was so angry. She was holding her phone so tightly she was sure she'd break it. "Carla was nowhere to be found. She left a child _alone_ in a house with no food, the doors unlocked and the windows open Nick. _Anything_ could have happened to her. And now you wanna send Maya to live with her for the rest of the summer? Are you _fucking_ insane!"

"I am not sending her to be with Carla!" Nick yelled.

"Yes you are!" Brianna yelled back. "Do you honestly think Helen wont let Carla see her? How many times has she tried to convince us to give Carla joint custody? How many times has she called us _pleading_ Carla's case even though she knows damn well Carla isn't capable of raising a child?"

"She said she wont let Carla see her," Nick said. Brianna could tell he was gritting her teeth but she didn't care. What right did he have to be angry? She was right, he _had_ to know that.

"And you believe that!" Brianna exclaimed, amazed at him. How could he be so stupid? She felt like pulling her hair out, this made absolutely no sense. She was so frustrated, her eyes were filling with tears.

"Why the hell are you jumping down my throat Brianna?" Nick asked. "_You're_ the one running around Miami with your ex boyfriend."

"_What_!" Brianna's mouth dropped open. She ran a hand through her hair, clenching her fist. "Don't you dare try to turn this around on me Nick. You don't even know what you're talking about."

"Your mom called," Nick said. "She said that your grandfather mentioned that the two of you were at his house…So is that why you haven't been calling me Bri? Too busy with John?"

"I've been busy with _work_," Bri insisted. "And I told you, this is _not_ about me and John..This is about you making a decision like this without me. When were you gonna tell me?"

"I don't have to run anything by you Bri," Nick said. "In case you've forgotten..you're not her mother."

Brianna couldn't find her voice. She searched her brain but she couldn't find anything to say to that. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and knew that she was dangerously close to losing complete control of her emotions. Without saying another word, she pulled the phone away from her ear, closing it as she felt the tear roll over her lip. She leaned against the wall and tried to take a deep breath. It was shaky and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to tell herself that she couldn't do this. She couldn't break down.

Her phone began to ring and she slid down to the ground, looking at the display, her vision blurred by tears. She opened the phone, "Hello?"

"Brianna?"

She leaned her head back against the wall behind her when she heard her grandfather's voice.

"Mmhmm," she nodded.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," she sniffed. "I'm fine."

---------------------

_A few hours later…_

"I'm nervous," Raquel looked down at her untouched food. "Is that weird?"

"I think that's normal Raquel," Gia said. "You're gonna be on live TV tonight in front of millions of people."

"Thanks Gi," Raquel glared at her sister. "I feel so much better now."

"Don't be nervous," Rodrigo spoke up, briefly tearing himself away from his meal. "You're gonna be great."

"Thanks," Raquel smiled at the older man. She'd never really been close to either of her real grandfathers but Rodrigo had always treated her like family. She looked over at Brianna. If anyone could truly calm her nerves, it was her. Surprisingly, Brianna didn't seem to be paying attention at all. She was across the table, next to Rodrigo, her head leaning against the wall. She still had her sunglasses on and she was absently lifting the straw out of her lemonade, stirring it around, and then pushing it back into the glass. She'd barely spoke since they sat down and from what Gia and Rodrigo told her when Brianna went back out to the car to get her phone, she'd been very quiet on the ride from Rodrigo's to the restaurant.

"Brianna?" Raquel said.

She didn't respond.

"Bri?"

She looked up after a second, "Hmm?"

"Raquel was telling us she's nervous about the show tonight," Rodrigo explained to his granddaughter.

"Don't be nervous," Brianna offered her sister a smile. "You've been doing this for weeks at house shows and you've been great. You're doing the same thing, just with cameras there. You'll do an amazing job."

"Thanks," Raquel smiled, feeling less uneasy. She was a bit concerned about Brianna though. What was making her so quiet?

---------------------

_4:00 P.M._

Brianna smiled, shaking hands with Shelton Benjamin. She was pretty sure that between John and Raquel both introducing her around, she'd officially met _everyone_ that she hadn't met the night before. Her hand was a little sore but she supposed that would go away soon enough. Everyone seemed really nice. To her surprise, some of them actually knew who she was. Some knew her from working on So You Think You Can Dance, some from videos, and some of the men just knew her from some magazine spreads. As nice and friendly as everyone was though, she was having a hard time focusing. Her mind kept drifting back to her conversation with Nick. She wasn't sure what was more upsetting. The fact that Nick was letting Maya stay with Helen or what he'd said to her. Thinking about it made the tears spring to her eyes again. Not wanting to make a fool of herself, she slowly slipped away from the group of chatting wrestlers, turning away and walking quickly, once again trying to take deep breaths. This was really not the place for this.

---------------------

John noticed Brianna slip away from the group and he did the same. She'd been acting funny since they got to the arena and he wanted to know what was going on. She pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head as she waked and he could see her wiping her thumb under her eyes.

"Bri," he reached out, gently taking her arm.

"Yeah?" she turned around, her eyes misty. A lone tear fell from her eye and John's plan to casually ask how she was doing flew out the window. He couldn't handle seeing her cry.

He wiped the tear away with his thumb, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she forced a laugh, sniffing. "I just uh..there's something in my eye."

"Bri you've never been a good liar," he said, stepping closer to her. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head slowly, "I don't wanna talk about it. It's not important."

She turned to walk away but he followed, "If it makes you cry, it's important."

"I'm not crying," she turned to face him again. "I told you, there's something in my eye."

"I'm looking in your eyes right now," John said. "There's nothing in them but tears."

She looked down, picking at one of her nails.

"Bri, talk to me," he said. "What's going on?"

She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to figure out what to do. Finally she wiped her eyes again, "Can we go outside?"

"Yeah," he nodded, putting an arm around her shoulders as they walked toward the door.

---------------------

Jeff walked over to the catering table, picking up a bottle of water. Raquel was at the other end of the table, looking down at nothing in particular.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She looked over at him, confused, "What?"

"You seem a little..I don't know..not yourself," Jeff shrugged.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well," he shrugged again. "You haven't insulted me yet today. It feels a little weird."

Jeff could swear he saw a hint of a smile. He made a mental note to remember this moment of peace between them. He couldn't remember the last one.

"I'm a little too nervous to insult you right now," she said. "I'll catch up later."

Jeff nodded, "Good, as long as you don't wait too long. I've been saving up some come-backs for you."

"Cant wait to hear them," she laughed.

"Hey Jeff!"

Jeff looked up when he saw Shelton Benjamin coming toward them.

"What's up?"

"I thought maybe we should talk about our match," Shelton said.

"Okay, I'll be right there," Jeff said.

Shelton nodded, turning and walking away. Once the other man was gone, Jeff looked over at Raquel again. She was looking down at the table again.

"Hey," he said. "Don't be nervous. If you do half as good a job as you've done on the house shows, you'll be great."

She looked surprised by his comment. Truthfully, _he_ was a little surprised. He wasn't sure why he'd said it but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

She smiled, still looking a little confused, "Thanks."

He shrugged, "No problem."

He turned away, walking off to find Shelton before things got any more awkward.

---------------------

"So then he said that and I just…I hung up," Brianna said, tears falling down her face. "I mean I know that he's right, I'm not her mother but.."

"Bri he's not right," John insisted, trying to control his anger. He fumed at the thought of Nick yelling at Brianna. "You have been more of a parent to Maya than _either_ of her real parents."

"He should be thanking you for caring so much, not saying what he said to you," John said.

"What am I supposed to do?" Brianna asked. John could see that it was getting harder and harder for her to control her crying. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, making sure she knew he was there for her. She leaned into him, quietly crying against his chest. He ran his hand over her hair, "Once Nick has a little time to think, he's gonna realize you're right."

She pulled away, looking up at him, " What if he doesn't?"

"He will," John wiped her tears again, smiling down at her reassuringly.

She laughed sheepishly, looking down at his now tear-stained shirt, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he laughed. "It'll dry."

"Not just the shirt," she said. "I'm sorry for putting all of this on you."

"Don't apologize," he said. "I lo…I _care_ about you..You can always talk to me."

He prayed she hadn't noticed his slip. Fortunately, she didn't give him any indication that she had.

"Thanks," she said.

"You can cry on my shirt anytime," he laughed.

"I'm gonna hold you to that," she smiled.

"Speaking of shirts," he looked down at the plain black tank top she wore with her short denim skirt. "This isn't working."

"What?" she looked down at herself.

"I got something for you."

_10 Minutes Later…_

Brianna laughed, looking in the mirror. John had told her she didn't look enough like a wrestling fan so he'd given her a Chain Gang Assault Battalion t-shirt that was only a few inches shorter than her skirt, a chain gang camouflage hat, and a pair of John Cena dog tags.

"Here, put one of these on," John said, opening a pack of wristbands.

"I think this is enough," she said, taking off the hat and running her hands through her long waves before putting it back on. She laughed when she looked at herself in the mirror.

"What?" he stood behind her. "I think you look cute."

"I look like one of your fans," she smiled.

"You better be one of my fans," he laughed, putting his arms around her. Brianna felt her smile widen when she felt his arms. She couldn't think of a more comforting feeling.

"I am," she laughed. "Not sure how good I look in a camo hat though. I'm also not sure how well the camo goes with these pink shoes."

"You look good in anything," he said.

"You're just trying to get me to wear the wristbands," she laughed.

"I might be."

"It's not gonna happen Cena," she said, looking into his eyes in the mirror.

"Fine, fine," he put his hands up and Brianna immediately missed his arms. "But I think they would complete your look."

She laughed, "I bet you do…Maybe next time."

---------------------

"Promise?" John smirked.

"Nope," Brianna turned to face him, laughing

"Brat," he said, pushing the brim of the hat down over her eyes.

"Hey!" she squeaked, swinging out. She missed twice before connecting with his shoulder.

"Hey," he laughed, grabbing her arm when she tried to swing again. He leaned down, lifting her up onto his shoulders.

"Cena's goin for the F-U," he said, spinning her around. "Where's he gonna do it? On the couch? On the floor?"

She squealed, laughing and kicking her legs as he spun her around.

"Put me down!" she laughed.

"Oh I will," John laughed. "Just as soon as I decide where."

---------------------

Paula heard what almost sounding like screaming coming from the men's locker room. As far as she knew, none of the wrestlers were in there anymore. She'd seen almost everyone near the catering table listening to Brianna's grandfather tell some boring story. She rushed to the door, pushing it open to find John with Brianna up on his shoulders. John stopped turning around in circles when he saw her. He looked surprised, like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Hey," he smiled, not bothering to put the other woman down.

Brianna waved, looking a little out of breath, her hair hanging over her face, "Hey Paula."

"What the hell are you two doing?"

---------------------


	16. Chapter 16

**I apologize for this chapter being a bit short, the next ones will be longer, I swear on my brand new coach bag! I have two days off of work (it's a miracle!) and I'm currently unable to go out because of a bad reaction to a spider bite so there should be some serious writin' goin on around here..That was probably sharing too much..sorry. And now I have a favor to ask...I would give a big hug to anyone who would check out the other story I have on here, Lovesick and let me know what you think and if I should post more, I've got big plans for it and I really love it and I hope you do too. And I'm serious about the hugs...Group hugs even, or individual, it's your choice. K, I'm done babbling now, I promise. R&R! Enjoy!**

**I just remembered that I added a segment to the very beginning of chapter 15. You might want to check it out.**

**Chapter 16...**

John leaned over, gently putting Brianna down, both of them trying not to laugh. The task became a little easier when he looked at Paula. Her hands were on her hips, her eyes narrowed, her lips a taut line of contempt.

She crossed her arms, focusing her ire on Brianna, "I thought you weren't trying to take my man."

Brianna shook her head, the corner of her mouth lifting in a smirk, "I'm not."

"That's not what it looks like to me," Paula stepped closer.

"Then you're paranoid," Brianna shrugged. "And that's not really my problem."

"Oh, I've got a problem for you," Paula said, getting even closer to Bri.

This time Brianna moved forward, obviously not intimidated, "Oh really?"

John had to admit that a part of him was enjoying this a little. What man didn't enjoy two women fighting over him. And the fact that Bri was getting into it with Paula..that had to mean something..didn't it? What it meant, he wasn't sure but it had to mean something. He shook his head, knowing he could think about it later. Right now he needed to separate these two before things got out of hand.

"Ladies, ladies," he put his arms between them, gently pushing them away from each other. "Cant we all just get along?"

"I was getting along just fine before _she_ got here," Paula glared.

Brianna rolled her eyes, making a talking gesture with her hand.

John laughed, "I guess that answers my question…Paula, there is nothing going on here..we were just joking around. There's nothing for you to get mad about."

---------------------

"There better not be," Paula said. Brianna rolled her eyes again and Paula wanted to slap them out of her head but she held herself back. She didn't get why people seemed to like this girl…she seemed like a royal _bitch_ to Paula. She smiled, walking over to John, her eyes on Brianna. She was going to make sure it was clear that he was _her_ man. She put her arms around his midsection and went to kiss him. Before she could though, Brianna started to walk away and he turned his head, giving Paula nothing but cheek, not quite the intended target.

"Bri, where you goin'?" John asked.

"I was gonna give you two some alone time," she shrugged, crossing her arms. "I'm going to find Raquel."

"I need to go talk to Adam," John said, removing Paula's arms. "I'll go with you."

Bri shrugged, "Okay."

"I'll see you later baby," John barely waved at Paula before following the brunette out into the hall. Paula stared after them in amazement. Had he really just blown her off like that? He never treated her like that. Not until perfect little Brianna came back into his life. She hated to admit it but she could feel him beginning to slip away. And she was not ready to give up all the perks of being John Cena's girlfriend. He was gorgeous with a perfect body, not to mention _very_ generous. She had grown very accustomed to a life where she didn't have to pay for anything and backtracking was not an option. This could _not_ be happening. She was _not_ about to lose her man.

---------------------

"So you gave Rocky a pep talk?" Trish smirked sitting across from Jeff as he laced up his boots.

"It wasn't a pep talk," Jeff briefly looked up. "I just said she'd do a good job tonight..That's all."

"It's still sweet," Trish smiled.

"I would not do anything _sweet_ for that woman," Jeff argued.

"Maybe not on purpose..you obviously couldn't help yourself," Trish said. A smile spread across her face, "You know, I think that actually makes it _more_ sweet."

Jeff shook his head, frustrated, "_Why_ does everyone insist that there must be something between me and her just 'cause we had sex? It was _sex_. That was _it_."

"I know," Trish shrugged. "We all just like messing with you."

---------------------

Bri realized how fast she was walking and made an conscious effort to slow down. It was difficult though because she was incredibly irritated. Something about Paula just made her want to scratch her eyes out.

_Probably the fact that she's an evil skank_

"Brianna!"

She stopped when she heard her name and looked toward the sound, smiling when she saw Brooke. She was sitting with Randy Orton.

"Hey," Bri smiled, walking over to them.

"I heard you were here, I was looking for you earlier," Brooke stood up, giving her a quick hug.

"I guess we're done here," Randy sighed, standing up. "I'll see you later Brooke."

With that, he walked away, both women watching him.

"O_kay_," Brianna stared, confused.

"What's his problem?" Brooke asked, confused.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Brianna shrugged. "Anyway, have you seen my sister?"

"Yeah, the last time I saw her she was going to the women's locker room," Brooke answered. "But listen, before you go find her..I want to introduce you to my dad."

---------------------

Victor knocked lightly on the door to the women's locker room. After a few seconds it opened slightly and Maria peeked out. He waved and she opened it all the way, "Hi Victor."

"Hello," he smiled.

"Raquel's just finishing up her hair," Maria explained, pointing to the other side of the room. Victor looked in the direction she indicated and saw Raquel standing in front of a mirror, wrapping some of her brown locks around a curling iron. She wore a green silk halter top that draped very low in the front and was only held together by a ribbon in the back with a black miniskirt and stiletto heels. The smoky makeup surrounding her eyes showed off what a gorgeous shade of green they were. She smiled when she noticed him, unraveling her hair from the iron and putting it down, unplugging it.

"When did you get in here?" she asked, running her hands through her curls.

"Just now," he smiled. "You look _amazing_."

"Thank you," she smiled, turning to face him. "You don't look half bad yourself."

He smiled, rubbing his chin a little, "I uh..wanted to apologize again for bailing out on lunch today."

"It's okay, I understand," she said.

"I was really looking forward to spending time with you," he smiled at her, hoping she understood his meaning.

"I was looking forward to it too," she smiled.

They stared at each other for a second and then both looked over at Maria, who was sitting in a chair, reading a magazine.

She looked up then rolled her eyes, "I guess you two want me to leave."

Raquel nodded.

"Fine, fine," Maria closed her magazine, tossing it on top of her bag. "Don't mess up her makeup, the show starts soon."

Raquel laughed as her friend left.

"So, do you have plans tonight once the show is over?" he asked.

"We're all going out to eat," she nodded.

He nodded, disappointed.

"You're more than welcome to come," she smiled.

"I wouldn't want to impose," he shook his head.

"You're not imposing. You are now officially invited and I'll be highly offended if you turn me down."

"I'm not surprised," he smirked. "You don't seem like a person who gets turned down."

"I'm not," she smiled.

"I'll be there."

---------------------

Brian was rushing down the hall toward the locker room. He was going to be in trouble, he had overslept and showed up late. He was _never_ late. He wad in such a rush that he didn't notice the woman coming out of the bathroom until he had already knocked her over. He looked down, surprised to see Gia on the floor, her purse beside her, it's contents lying around his feet. She was looking up at him, laughing. She had a gorgeous smile. Her eyes seemed to light up.

"You gonna help or just stare at me?" she laughed.

"I'm sorry," he snapped out of his trance, kneeling down to help her put everything back into her purse. "I'm Brian..we met at dinner last night."

"I remember," she smiled as he handed her a lipstick tube and she dropped it into her purse.

"Are you okay?" he asked, standing up and holding out his hand. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," she insisted as he pulled her up. "There's no severe injury."

"Good," he smiled. "I don't want some crazed boyfriend coming after me."

After he said that, he realized how obvious that was. Why didn't he just _ask_ if she had a boyfriend? He might as well have.

"That was smooth," she smirked. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"You don't?" he stared, surprised.

She shook her head, smiling.

Brian was amazed. How could someone that cute not have a boyfriend.

"Are you going out to dinner with all of us tonight?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am."

"Would you, maybe, want a ride to the restaurant?" he asked.

_A ride? You were supposed to ask if she wanted to go with you, stupid, not if she wanted to ride in your rental car_

"Sure," she shrugged. "Why not?"

She had surprised him once again, "Really?"

She nodded, "Yeah..It should be fun."

---------------------

Brianna walked down the hall, smiling. She had just met Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon. She hadn't been a wrestling fan for too long but even she knew how huge that was. They were both very nice. Hulk seemed _very_ enthusiastic about her working with his daughter.

"Hey Brianna!"

She jumped a little. She'd just met everyone and yet it seemed like she couldn't go anywhere in this building without being stopped. She looked around, smiling when she saw Maria and Trish. Out of all the people she'd met the night before, they were probably her favorites. She'd clicked with both of them right away, especially Maria. She walked toward the duo. Maria was sitting on an equipment trunk and Trish was standing, actually she was running in place. Maria must have noticed the confused look on her face because she patted the seat next to her, "Don't mind Trish..She's always like this when she has a match."

"Hey Brianna," Trish smiled, waving.

Brianna waved back, "So where's my sister?"

"Talking to Victor," Trish said, speeding up her run.

"Who's Victor?"

"He's a _gorgeous_ lawyer with the hots for Rocky," Maria explained.

"I haven't heard anything about this," Brianna said, confused.

"We just met him yesterday," Trish explained.

"And we hear you were busy hanging out with John yesterday," Maria smiled.

Brianna laughed, "And where did you hear that?"

Trish stopped running and started to stretch, "John told us…And he had the cutest little dopey grin on his face when he told us about hanging out with you and your grandpa."

"He did?" Brianna asked, a little surprised.

"And speaking of cute little smiles," Maria pointed. "Look at her, she's almost blushing."

"I am not," Bri insisted, laughing. "You've been around Raquel too much."

---------------------


	17. Chapter 17

**I apologize if any part of this chapter doesn't make sense, i'm feeling a little sick again. I think it makes sense but..I feel a little funky right now so who knows what state my mind is in..Read, Enjoy, & Review at will! **

**By the way, has anyone been to the WWE's website recently? There's a sweepstakes to win...well, here's the exact wording:**

**Need something sweet? How about Randy Orton's lollipop? Enter now to win the Legend Killer's signed candy stick! **

**So, like, is that kind of wrong or am I just a perv? Or maybe it's both...I think it's both. Regardless, I'd enter to win...I think I'm sharing too much again..I should go to sleep.**

**Chapter 17...**

Brianna watched the first match, feeling a tiny bit of anxiety. From what she'd been told, Raquel and Andrew were supposed to come out during the beginning of the show and though she knew her sister was going to do a good job, she couldn't help but be a little nervous for her. She tried to focus on the action in the ring. Johnny Nitro and Carlito's match for the number 1 contender spot for the Intercontinental Championship had been going on for a few minutes. In the short time she'd been watching, she'd become a bit of a Carlito fan but both men were impressive. They could probably teach a few dancers she'd worked with a thing or two about agility. Unfamiliar music started to play and quite a few people in the crowd looked toward the stage. Brianna stood along with everyone else, a giddy squeak escaping her throat.

---------------------

**RAW**

"Who is this?" JR asked confused as the music played. Then, to everyone's surprise, Test came out onto the ramp, a gorgeous brunette at his side. "That's Test! It's been quite a while since we saw him."

"Who is that?" King asked, a little distracted by the young woman.

"I think that better question is what are they doing out here?" JR asked as they walked down the ramp. "There's a damn match going on."

"I think we're about to find out JR," King said as Test stepped up onto the ring apron. He stopped, looking back at the brunette who gave him an encouraging smile. At that, he entered the ring, the referee came toward him to admonish him and ended up catching a boot to the face.

"What the hell?" JR asked confused. Johnny Nitro ran toward him and Test delivered yet another boot, knocking the smaller man flat on his back. Carlito came up behind him, clubbing him in the back. Test turned, seemingly unaffected and the two traded blows until Test floored Carlito with a clothesline.

"My God!" JR exclaimed. "What is he doing?"

"Looks like he's cleanin' house," King said.

The brunette walked up the ring steps, smiling and clapping. Test leaned down, grabbing Johnny Nitro's hair and pulling him up. He set him up for the pump handle slam and executed the move perfectly, slamming him down onto the canvas.

"Cleaning house indeed," JR said as Test pulled Carlito up, giving him the same treatment as Nitro.

"What the hell did he do that for?" JR asked.

The brunette quickly got into the ring, smiling. Test grabbed her hand and raised it along with his own, the a strangely vicious, yet triumphant look on his face.

"I don't know," King said as the young woman hugged Test quickly before walking toward the ropes. "But she sure looks happy about it."

Test stepped over the ropes and then lifted her over, placing her down the ring apron. He jumped down and then scooped her into his arms, setting her down again. She took his hand again as they walked up the ramp. She was smiling mischievously and Test just looked..intense.

---------------------

Raquel felt like her smile was stretching from ear to ear as she and Andrew walked through the curtain. Torrie Wilson, who was waiting to go out and do the t-shirt gun wrapped her arms around her, jumping up and down. Raquel felt silly but she couldn't help but jump with her friend. She hadn't even done all that much, Andrew did all of the work, but just the fact that she was just in front of all of those people and on TV airing in millions of homes was quite a rush.

"You looked great!" Torrie exclaimed. "I got yelled at for peeking through the curtains."

Raquel laughed, not surprised.

Torrie's music began and she hugged her one last time before rushing out.

"Good job," Andrew put his arm around her. She hugged him lightly. He could get on her nerves at times but, even after their tense start, they had become pretty good friends. And they had both been looking forward to this for weeks.

They walked out through the production area into the more open backstage area where the other wrestlers and divas were milling around, having their own little conversations. Some watching the monitors, the rest engaged in various other activities. She noticed Matt, Jeff, John, and Randy standing around, talking. Randy spotted her first, waving her over. She pulled Andrew with her, joining her friends.

"Good job Rocky," John smiled.

"Rocky?" Andrew asked. "I did all the work?"

"Yeah but she looked better," Randy laughed.

"Much better," Matt added.

Raquel didn't know why but she was looking at Jeff expectantly. Waiting for him to say something..anything. Well, maybe not _anything_. His expression was pretty neutral at first but then the corners of his mouth turned up a little, "You looked good out there.

She was surprised. She'd been expecting, well, something else.

She smiled a little, "Thanks."

"Come on," Andrew took her hand. "We still have to go over what to say in that interview with Maria."

"Right," Raquel nodded. This was the part she really needed to be nervous about.

---------------------

_½ Hour Later…_

John looked up at the monitor as he pulled on his shoes. Maria had just finished the Kiss Cam and the show was coming back from commercial. The cameras were scanning the cheering crowd and then stopped on Rodrigo, Brianna, and Gia.

"Ladies and gentlemen we have a few special guests taking in the show this evening," JR said as the monitor closed up on Brianna and Rodrigo. "First we have, a very good friend of mine, somewhat of a legend in our business, Rodrigo 'Tornado' Tavares."

Rodrigo waved, smiling at the camera. He always seemed to get a kick of being announced on the show.

"And his beautiful granddaughter next to him is a star in her own right King," JR said.

Brianna smiled, blowing a kiss at the camera and waving. She made a dorky face, then put bunny ears up behind Rodrigo and John laughed, shaking his head.

"That's Brianna Kavner," King explained. "She's a choreographer and judge on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance?"

"She's a very talented young lady," JR said.

"She could teach _me _to dance anytime," King said.

"I don't know King," JR said. "From the looks of her attire, I think she's a pretty big John Cena fan."

John smiled proudly, even though she was only wearing the items because he'd practically put them on her.

"I'm a big fan of _her_," King laughed.

"Down boy," JR teased.

Trish's music began and the camera shot went to the stage. John stood up, taking his t-shirt out of his bag and pulling it on over his head.

"Hey man," Jeff walked in, a towel around his shoulders. His match was the second one of the night so he was already done.

John nodded to his friend.

"So I heard Paula and Brianna got a little tense earlier," Jeff said.

"How did you hear about that?" John laughed.

"She told Trish and Maria and you know Maria cant hold on to gossip for too long," Jeff said. "Why'd you break it up? I bet Brianna could take her."

"That's why I broke it up," John laughed. "Didn't want her getting in trouble. That girl has a temper on her."

"She does?"

"Oh yeah," John confirmed. "Hell, she got mad and stole my car once."

"She stole your car?"

John smiled, nodding.

"How did that happen?"

"We went to this party and I had to leave early because I had football practice the next morning," John began. "Bri stayed and said she'd get a ride home. And a few days later, one of the guys from the team tells me that Bri got a ride with this guy and that the rumor was that she made out with him when they got to her house."

"Nice," Jeff laughed.

"Yeah," John nodded. "So of course, genius that I was, I believed my friend. I didn't confront her right away though..A couple days later my buddy Luke, the one who told me about the rumor, was throwing a party up at his parent's lake house and me, him, Bri, and his girlfriend drove up early to get everything set up…"

_Brianna parked John's car and took the keys out of the ignition, slipping the key ring over one of her fingers as she and Joanie got out of the car. John better be glad she loved him because his little puppy dog face was the only thing that could force her to go anywhere with Joanie Keller. Joanie had to be one of her least favorite people in the world and the feeling was very mutual. But the guys had asked the girls to go to the store to pick up provisions for the party so they could get some things done at the house._

"_That was _fun_," Joanie said dryly as Brianna unlocked the trunk._

_Bri rolled her eyes, taking a couple of bags and walking up the walkway toward the house. Luke was standing on the front porch. _

"_Hey John!" He called over his shoulder. "The girls are back!"_

_John walked through the doorway, taking Bri's bags as she reached the top of the stairs. He had obviously been outside working on something because he had taken his shirt off, the sweaty garment was resting over his shoulder._

"_Why are you half naked?" she smirked, walking into the house behind him. "You and Luke were getting friendly while we were gone were you?"_

"_Nope," he shook his head, setting the bags down on the kitchen table._

"_Good, 'cause if you two go off for some alone time, the only company I have is Joanie," she said, reaching up and opening one of the cabinets, pulling out a few large bowls and setting them on the table. "And you know I don't like that bitch."_

_She pulled a bag of chips out of one of the bags and opened it, then looked up at John. Usually he laughed when she made a comment about Joanie. He didn't like her much either. This time though, he was quiet. And he was looking at her funny…_

_She poured the chips into the bowl in front of her, "What's wrong?"_

---------------------

_John looked over his shoulder to make sure that Luke and Joanie were busy unloading the car. He didn't want them to interrupt._

"_We need to talk," he said._

_She looked confused, "Okay..talk about what?"_

"_You and Colin," John said, trying to keep his temper in control until he knew the facts. It was hard though, he trusted Bri but he trusted Luke too and he had no reason to lie._

"_Colin who? " she asked, eating half of a chip._

_John rolled his eyes, he hated when she played innocent when she knew he was mad._

"_Colin Baker," he said._

"_Who's that?" she said, looking genuinely confused._

"_You let him drive you home and you didn't even know his name?" John asked, growing angrier._

"_Oh that's who you're talking about?" she laughed. "I didn't think it was a big deal, Tessa and Shante both knew him and he lives in me and Shante's neighborhood. He dropped us both off."_

_John didn't say anything. He was waiting, giving her a chance to just tell him the truth._

"_So…" she was obviously waiting for him to continue. "What about Colin?"_

"_I heard you two had a little fun when he dropped you off," John said._

"_You better mean you think we got along well and said a polite goodbye," she crossed her arms over her chest. "Because if you think anything else happened you've clearly lost your damn mind."_

"_If by polite goodbye you mean you let him shove his tongue down your throat, then yeah, that's what I heard," he said, his voice getting loud._

"_Excuse me?" she stared._

"_How could you do that Brianna?" he asked._

"_I didn't _do_ anything," she insisted, her brow furrowed. "Where did you even hear that?"_

"_Luke told me," John answered._

"_Luke told you," she shook her head. "And you believe him? After all the years I've known you, you believe Luke over me."_

"_I've known him even longer than I've known you," he pointed out._

"_I don't care how long you've known him," Brianna said. "He's a fucking liar..Not to mention his girlfriend hates me with a passion..do you really think she would hesitate to make up something about me and tell her little lap dog?"_

"_Don't call my friend a lap dog," he pointed._

"_Then maybe you should tell him not to be one," she said. "And while you're at it..maybe _you_ should try not to be such an asshole."_

_As she spoke, she picked up the bowl of chips, walking toward him and pouring them over his head, dropping it on him as she walked out. John fumed, turning to follow her. She ran out the door and down the stairs._

"_Brianna, where are you going?" he asked angrily._

"_Home!" she turned just before she reached his car._

"_You cant go home, I drove," he reminded her._

"_I can do _whatever_ I want," she argued._

_She held up her hand, and the sun reflected off of something silver, hanging from her finger._

"_And it's a lot easier to get home when I have these," she smiled._

_John put a hand up to block the sun, his eyes going wide when he saw his keys dangling from her index finger._

"_You wouldn't dare," he shook his head._

"_Why not?" she smiled. "If I'm enough of a _skank_ to cheat on you..why wouldn't I be enough of a _bitch_ to leave you stranded?"_

"_Brianna, get back here and give me my keys," he ordered._

"_Relax John," she said, opening the car door and getting in. She leaned out the window, "If Colin's coming..maybe he'll give you a ride home!"_

"So she just left you guys there?" Jeff laughed.

John nodded, "Yup."

"So did you ever find out what happened?"

John nodded, "A friend of Joanie's told me she made the whole thing up. Then when I confronted Joanie about it at the party, she admitted it…I spent the rest of the night upstairs trying to call Bri. She wanted _nothin_' to do with me. Me, Luke, and Joanie ended up having to catch a ride home with the only person that had enough room in their car."

"Then what happened?" Jeff asked, intrigued.

"I borrowed my dad's car and went to see her. Her family had just moved into this new gated community in a different part of town and I was kinda scared that she'd warned the security guys not to let me in. When Brianna doesn't want to talk to you, she covers all her bases."

Jeff laughed.

"Fortunately, one of them was a friend of my dad's and let me in. But there was another gate around their house.

_John pressed the button for the intercom at the gate to the Kavner mansion. He'd lucked out with the security guard at the main gate but this was going to be much harder. He pressed the button again._

"_Who is it?"_

_John was surprised, usually there was a much more official voice on the other side of the intercom._

"_Gia?" he smiled._

"_Is that you John?" the young girl asked._

"_Yeah, it's me," John said, looking up at the sky. Somebody up there liked him._

"_Bri said you were gonna come over today," Gia said._

"_Oh yeah?"'_

"_Yeah," came the high pitch reply. "But she said not to let you in. She's mad at you."_

"_I know she is," John said. "But I wanna tell her I'm sorry..You think you could let me in?"_

"_Wouldn't she be mad at _me_ then?" Gia asked._

"_You know she cant be mad at you," John said. It was true. No matter what her little sister did, Brianna couldn't get mad at her. "And I promise, when Bri and I make up, we'll take you out to a movie as a thank you."_

"_A movie?"_

_Gia loved when she got to hang out with them. It made her feel grown up. And since she had only been living with them for a few years, Brianna felt like she'd missed too much of her younger sister's life and always made sure to make Gia feel included. That was one of the things he loved about her. She never wanted anyone to feel like they weren't important._

"_Any movie you want," John offered._

_He smiled as the gates began to open. That was a promise he was gonna have to make good on ASAP. He drove around the circle drive, parking the car in front and running up to the door. Dr. Kavner had the house specially built for the family. It was probably the biggest in the neighborhood. The architecture was more modern and there were tons of windows. The house looked like it was made completely of wood and glass. It was just the kind of sophisticated, cold, uninviting feeling that Dr. Kavner liked. He rang the bell and Gia opened it, having to pull hard to open the heavy door._

"_Hey kid," he mussed the younger girl's hair. "Where's your sister?"_

"_I don't know," Gia shrugged. "She was supposed to help me pick out an outfit. Tomorrow's my first day of school."_

"_That's pretty cool," John said. "I'll see if I can find her. Why don't you go watch some TV and we'll come get ya."_

"_Okay," Gia shrugged, walking away. John walked through the house, looking into the rooms. He stopped when he got near her father's office. The walls were all made of glass, as was his desk. Brianna was standing in front of his bookshelves, taking out books, flipping through them quickly, and then putting them back. He slowly opened the door._

"_Hey," he said quietly. _

_She didn't respond, simply pulling out another book and shaking it out before putting it back. John sighed. She was really mad. Sure, they'd had disagreements but even before they were in a relationship, she couldn't stay angry for very long. It was strange coming into a room and not seeing her smile or having her run up and jump into his arms. He didn't like it at all._

"_Gia's lookin' for you," he said, walking further into the room._

"_I know," she said, pulling out another book. "I'm going up there once I'm done here."_

"_What exactly are you doing?" he asked, confused._

"_Frank took away one of Raquel's credit cards and she asked me to steal it back…Last time he did it, he hid it in a book."_

"_Why isn't she doing it?" he asked._

"_Because she doesn't want to get on his bad side," Brianna shrugged. "I don't really care."_

_John nodded. That was usually the case._

_She pulled out another book and he stepped up behind her, gently taking it out of her hand and putting it back. She finally turned to face him and he could see that her eyes were red. She'd been crying. Because of him. If he could beat himself up he probably would…Well..maybe not but he felt horrible nonetheless._

_She walked away, going to stand behind the desk._

"_Okay I'm gonna talk," he sighed, running a hand over his hair. "And I don't want you to say anything-"_

_She picked up a paperweight, looking down at it and then up at him with menacing green eyes._

"_Or _throw _anything," he added. "Until I'm done."_

_Her eyebrow arched, a sure sign that she was willing to listen but that he was on paper-thin ice. She turned, opening the sliding glass door. There was a pathway from the office that led through a garden and to the pool. He followed her as she walked, not once looking back at him. At one point on the path, there was a bench on either side. She sat on one, nodding for him to take the other. He sat across from her, watching as she pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them and wrapping her arms around her legs._

"_You were right," he said. "Joanie made everything up and got Luke to help her spread the rumor."_

_He could tell she wanted to say something but she stayed quiet._

"_I don't know why I believed him over you but it will never, _ever_ happen again," he looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry Brianna."_

_She closed her eyes, not saying anything and he moved to sit next to her, putting his arm around her and pulling her close to him. "I was stupid..Call it temporary insanity but you have my word that it will never happen again…I trust you."_

_She looked up at him, a smartass look on her face, "Oh _now_ you trust me?"_

"_I trust you," he kissed the tip of her nose then rested his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry for not believing you."_

_She kissed his lips softly, "I _guess_ I'm sorry for stealing your car."_

"_You guess?" he laughed, pulling away._

"_Whatever, that's the best you're gonna get," she shrugged._

"_Fine," he laughed. "Can you at least tell me where it is?"_

"_Well," she winced, looking up at him with innocent eyes. "I'm not really sure."_

"_What!" he stood up, frantic._

_She looked scared and apologetic for a few seconds then burst into laughter, pointing at him, "That was the best look _ever_..I wish I had my camera."_

"_You are not funny Bri-Bri," he glared._

_She got up, walking back toward the house, "Call me Bri-Bri again and I wont tell you where your car is."_

"You know, I already knew I liked her," Jeff laughed. "But now I'm sure we're gonna be friends. Dude..what are you still doing with Paula?"

John laughed a little but the truth was…he didn't really know the answer to that question.

Jeff was looking at him, waiting for an answer.

John sighed, sitting down and shrugging, "I'm sure there's a reason…I just..cant think of it right now."

"I'm no relationship expert but I _think_ that's a bad sign," Jeff laughed.

"It's crazy, J," John shook his head. "Brianna's been on my mind constantly since the day I saw her at her party. And when we were talking on the phone it was like, I looked forward to her calls, I'd answer even if I was crazy busy and talk to her as long as I could. And we don't dwell on the past. In the beginning I kind of thought that was gonna happen. I thought maybe we'd spend all of our time reminiscing until we both got sick of it but we don't. We don't even really talk about old stuff. It's like, getting to know a whole new, interesting person but at the same time, she's the same girl I knew..she's still really sensitive and she's a dork, she's a workaholic just like me, and she can be such a brat but she's got this huge heart and just…I don't know. I sound like I'm writing a romance novel. Shut me up."

"I've gotta say..I've never heard you tall about Big Red like that."

John laughed a little. Paula _hated_ when people called her that and both Jeff and Raquel did it all the time.

"You know, Paula went to kiss me today," John said. "And I turned my head. It just..didn't feel right."

"Probably because you're hung up on someone else," Jeff suggested. "Should you really be with her when you obviously want Brianna?"

"Probably not," John admitted. "But..she's with Nick. She's _engaged_…Why am I even thinking about it? It's not like I have a chance."

"You don't have to be with Paula just because Brianna's with somebody else," Jeff said. "And, the way I see it, you've technically got a chance until she's actually married."

John gave his friend a look.

Jeff put his hands up, "I'm just sayin'."

--------------

Maria smiled, leaning against the wall outside the men's locker room. She happened to be walking by when she heard John talking and she'd been compelled to listen. Was John actually considering breaking up with Paula? Maria couldn't think of many things that she'd like more. She couldn't stand Paula and he wasn't right for her friend and from what she'd just heard, he was starting to see that. She should probably keep this to herself until she knew for sure that John was going to dump Paula.

_Oh who am I kidding? I'm probably gonna tell the next person I see._

She heard one of the men coming toward the door and quickly started to walk away, hoping they didn't know she was there.

---------------------

Brianna sat down, her throat a little sore after cheering feverishly for Trish during her match. The blonde was now backstage and the show was in a commercial break. She was having way more fun than she thought she would. Not that she didn't think she'd enjoy it, she just didn't know how much. She looked over at Gia who seemed to be having almost as good a time.

"Having fun Gigi?" she laughed, putting an arm around her sister's shoulders.

"Yeah," Gia smiled enthusiastically. "Do you know if Brian Kendrick has a match tonight?"

Brianna raised a brow at her, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Gia said, looking down into her bag of popcorn.

"You're an even worse liar than me," Brianna laughed. "You have a little crush don't you?"

"I don't have a crush," Gia insisted. "I barely know him."

"Then you're attracted to him," Bri suggested.

"Kind of," Gia smiled. "He's cute."

"He does have a boyish cuteness thing happening," Brianna shrugged. "I say go for it."

"Really?" Gia asked.

"Why not?" Brianna said, stealing one of her grandfather's nachos. "What do you think papa?"

"About what?" Rodrigo asked. He had been more involved in his food than the current conversation.

"Nothing, just nod," Brianna suggested.

He nodded, then went back to the pretzel on the other side of his lap.

"Just don't tell John," Bri said.

"Why not?" Gia asked.

"Gi, I know it's been a while," Brianna smirked. "But you cant have forgotten how protective John is over you."

"That was when I was a lot younger," Gia said. "It's different now."

"I don't think he cares. You're always gonna be like a little sister to him," Brianna said. "And I don't know how kindly he'd take to one of his coworkers hitting on you."

"So then coming to dinner with him tonight would be a _bad_ idea?" Gia winced.

"He asked you to dinner?" Brianna smiled excitedly.

"He just asked if I wanted to ride with him," Gia said. "John wouldn't make a big deal out of that, would he?"

He absolutely would," Brianna nodded.

Gia sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"But don't worry," Brianna smiled. "I'll talk to him first and make sure he doesn't."

---------------------

**RAW**

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm standing here with Test and Raquel Davenport," Maria said as the show came back from commercial. The camera panned back from Maria to reveal Test and Raquel standing beside her. Test still looked a little riled but Raquel looked quite calm, a faint smirk touching her face.

"So that's her name," King said.

"Earlier tonight, the two of you interrupted our match to determine the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship. You gave the pump handle slam to both Carlito _and_ Johnny Nitro..That wasn't very nice."

Raquel rolled her eyes.

"Johnny and Carlito didn't do anything to you," Maria said, confused. "So..why would you do that?"

She turned the microphone toward them and Raquel swiftly took it from her.

"It's really quite simple Maria," she began to explain. "Test did what he did to make a statement."

"What kind of statement?" Maria asked.

"We want to make it clear that Test is _back_," she smiled. "And he's better than ever..Johnny Nitro and Carlito didn't _deserve_ to be in that match. _Test_ is the real number one contender. Shelton Benjamin, consider yourself warned..because this man beside me is the next Intercontinental Champion."

Test nodded, a menacing smile spreading across his face.

"Test is the future of the WWE and we are not about to let _anyone_ stand in our way."

---------------------

"Cut," the production team member to the side gestured for the camera to stop rolling. "Great job guys."

Maria squealed, hugging her friend, "That was great!"

"Was it?" Raquel smiled anxiously.

Maria nodded, proud of her friend. She hadn't seemed nervous at all. No one would believe that was her first time on TV.

"Come on," Maria took her hand. "We gotta go find Trish."

---------------------

Trish walked into the women's dressing room, dropping her boots next to her bag. She heard a sound and looked up, immediately annoyed when she saw Paula sitting on a bench, flipping through a magazine. When she and John first started dating, Paula had claimed that she was a _huge_ wrestling fan and yet Trish had never actually seen her pay any attention to a show. She placed her hands on her hips, unable to keep herself from glaring. Paula had never been and would never be anything close to a diva and yet whenever John wasn't around, she was camped out in the women's locker room like she belonged there. John needed to get rid of her soon before Trish did it for him. Trish walked over to the corner, turning on the monitor. Just as it came on, John's music was starting. Most of the crowd cheered, though there were definitely audible boos as John ran out onto the stage. Trish looked over at Paula, expecting a look of adoration, instead Paula just looked..bored. Trish shook her head, turning her attention back to the monitor as John walked around the ring, slapping the hands of the fans and taking his hat off, placing it on a little boy in the front row.

"Does he always do that?" Paula asked.

Trish rolled her eyes, "Not every night, no."

John stopped in front of Rodrigo and shook his hand then put an arm around him in a half hug. Then he turned to Brianna, smiling at her and taking her hand, raising it to his lips. Brianna laughed, feigning shock and fanning herself. Then, he popped the collar of her t-shirt making her laugh before sliding into the ring. Those two were entirely too cute. Trish smiled, turning to look at Paula, itching to see her reaction. Paula was now standing, her eyes practically slits as she stared at the monitor, arms folded over her chest. She turned her gaze on Trish, "What the hell are you looking at?"

Trish smiled, walking over to the other woman, "What's the matter Paula? Not enjoying the show?"

Paula rolled her eyes and walked out, brushing Trish's shoulder on her way to the door.

---------------------


	18. Chapter 18

**So here's chapter 18, hope ya like it, thanks so much for the kind reviews, you're all awesome and you keep me motivated. I promise in the next chapter things are really going to start picking up. The story is reaching it's halfway point and I've gotta get it in gear. As usual, Read, Enjoy, & Review! Thanks!**

**Chapter 18...**

John walked to the back after his match, a little out of breath. A few members of the crew patted him on the back telling him 'good job'

"Thanks guys," he called over his shoulder. "Y'all don't party too much tonight."

"We will!" one of them laughed.

He stopped, looking at the same security guard he'd asked to take Brianna and Rodrigo out to their seats before the show.

"You think you could make sure my guests get back here safely?" he asked.

"Yes sir," the man nodded.

"Thanks man," John patted his shoulder, making a mental note to give him a tip before he left.

Someone threw John a towel and he caught it, wiping his forehead. He didn't sweat too much so he wasn't drenched but it helped. He stopped walking when he spotted Paula. She was standing with her arms crossed and she did not look happy. He walked toward her, figuring he might as well just get this over with.

---------------------

Paula shook her head as he came toward her, "What the hell was that?"

He stopped in front of her, "What?"

"You know what," she pointed.

"No, I really don't," he laughed a little. "What? You didn't like my match?"

"No John, I didn't like what you did _before_ your match," she glared, blood boiling.

"What?" he asked. "The thing with Bri?"

"Yes, the thing with Bri," she nodded. "What were you thinking!"

He was beginning to look angry, "You need to calm down. That was nothing."

"Nothing!" she yelled, ignoring his order to calm herself.

"Nothing," he said, keeping his tone level.

She wanted to push him or something. He was being such a jerk.

He turned, beginning to leave.

"Don't you walk away from me!" she followed, pulling his arm and turning him around.

"We're done talking about this," John said, running his hand over his hair and then his face, obviously frustrated. "So I kissed her hand? So what?"

"So what!" she fumed. "So I don't like it. And if I don't like it, you cant do it."

"Are you kidding me?" he stared.

She shook her head.

"You know what Paula," he sighed. "I'm sick of you picking stupid little fights with me all the time. I cant deal with it right now. I'm tired. I just want to go, take a shower, and eat dinner. That's it."

She was a little nervous. He seemed really, _really_ annoyed.

"Well I'm not going to dinner," she said, looking away, trying for a little pout. He always fell for that. If she threatened to go off alone, he would feel guilty and apologize.

"Fine," he shrugged. "Whatever."

Paula stared in open mouthed shock as he turned, walking away from her.

_What the hell just happened?_

---------------------

Nick tossed the remote down on the couch next to him, leaning back and watching the news. He was tense. He had been for weeks. It was really starting to get to him. And the way Brianna had talked to him earlier..like he was stupid, like he didn't know how to raise his own daughter…that made him want to throw something. He had earlier. He'd picked up one of her precious little dance trophies and launched it across the room, shattering it. That made him feel a little better. He'd cleaned it up and thrown it away, figuring he could just say that Z knocked it over when she got home.

"Daddy," Maya trotted into the room, smiling. He was surprised to actually see her smiling. She'd been pretty mopey since Brianna went to Miami.

"Hey sweetheart," he smiled as she stood by the coffee table.

"You wanna see the picture I drew?"

"Of course," he nodded.

She beamed, spreading the large piece of paper out on the table.

He smiled, seeing that she drew him on the end in a police uniform. Then three women. She made Brianna the tallest in a pink dress. Gia was next in blue and then Raquel in red. She put Troy beside Raquel and then there was a small black dog, presumably Z. Then, there was an unfamiliar person on the end. A man in a black t-shirt and jeans.

"Who's that Maya?" Nick asked.

"That's John," Maya smiled.

"John?" Nick stared.

Maya smiled proudly at her artwork, nodding.

"Why would you draw John?" Nick asked, annoyed.

"Because he's my friend," Maya said.

Nick took a deep breath, knowing that this wasn't his daughter's fault. He stood up, "Daddy needs to make a phone call. Why don't you go draw another picture?"

"Okay," she picked up her drawing.

"Leave this one with me," he said, gently taking it from her. "I'll find a place to put it."

"Okay," Maya smiled. "I want Brianna and John to see it. And Aunt Raquel. She says I draw pretty pictures."

"You do," Nick smoothed her hair before turning her around. She ran off toward her playroom and he walked into the kitchen, grabbing the phone from it's charger and dialing Brianna's cell phone number. He held the phone to his ear with one hand and crumpled Maya's picture in the other, dropping it in the garbage on his way back into the living room.

---------------------

"So we're just going to the Applebee's by the hotel?" Trish looked around, making sure everyone was in agreement.

Brianna looked around the parking lot and pretty much everyone seemed to be nodding.

"Okay, then we can go as soon as someone finds Raquel," Maria said.

"I'm gonna have to meet you all a little later," Brianna said. "I've gotta get Tornado here back home."

"I cant hang with you young kids the way I used to," Rodrigo laughed. "You all have a good night."

Everybody waved, a few people promising to see him next time. Rodrigo walked toward the car.

---------------------

"You want me to go with you?" John offered, walking over to Brianna. He smiled, seeing that she still hadn't changed out of her Cena merchandise.

"Hmm?" she looked up, a little surprised.

"You want me to ride to Rodrigo's with you?" he repeated.

"John that'd make you like an hour late to dinner," she said, shaking her head.

"I don't mind," he shrugged. Truthfully, he just wanted to spend more time with her without everyone staring at them, wondering what they were thinking and feeling.

She shrugged, "Sure, why not? I need to talk to you about something anyway."

"You do?" he asked.

She nodded, fishing through her purse for her keys.

"Okay," John smiled. Then, he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned around to see Paula.

"What about me?" she asked.

He pulled the keys to his rental out of his pocket and handed them to her, "There..You can drive yourself back to the hotel."

Paula looked furious but John didn't feel like dealing with it. She was just pissed that he hadn't let her manipulate him earlier.

He turned to Brianna, "You ready?"

"Yeah," she nodded, finally finding her keys and yanking them out of the small bag.

"Where's Gia?" John asked.

"She's um..somewhere," Brianna said flippantly. "Let's go, I bet papa's gettin' tired."

"Well, we cant just leave your sister here," John laughed.

"I think she's getting a ride," Brianna smiled, looking a little anxious. "Let's go."

"Okay," he said, confused, wondering what she was up to. He waved to his friends, following her to her car. As they reached it, he held out his hand for the keys.

She looked at his hand and then up at him, "What?"

"I'm driving," he stated.

"Like hell," she laughed.

"I'm not lettin' you drive," he said.

"I'm the better drive Captain Traffic Ticket," she smirked.

"But I'm the man," he said.

"Your point?" she arched her brow.

"My point is that I'm driving," he said. "I'm the man. It's the law."

"Fine," she rolled her eyes, raising the keys high and dropping them into his hand and opening the door to the backseat. "But if you get us pulled over I'm not flirting with the cop to get you out of trouble."

"Oh come on," he said as they got into the car. "I only asked you to do that once."

"Once my ass."

---------------------

Jeff stood at the door to the women's locker room. Somehow he'd been voted to be the one to come get Raquel. She was standing, packing up her bag. Somehow, she always managed to be the last person ready to leave. She had changed out of the green shirt she wore for the show and into a short sleeved red shirt with a white shirt underneath. Her brown curls were held up somewhat messily with a clip. She looked cute. He'd never tell her that but she did. He reached up, knocking on the doorframe.

She looked up from her bag, "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"We're all ready to go," he explained. "Trish asked me to come see where you were."

"I'm almost ready," she said, putting her brush in her bag.

"Did you wanna ride with me and Matt?" he offered. He wasn't quite sure _why_ he offered. She obviously wasn't either because she looked up at him, surprised. Before she could say anything a man Jeff didn't recognize came into the room wearing a dark blue suit. He smiled at Raquel, "Ready to go?"

Jeff frowned, "Who are you?"

"Victor Allen," he walked up to Jeff, extending his hand. Jeff looked down at it but didn't shake it. Victor took a step back, "Raquel invited me to come to dinner with you all tonight."

Jeff looked over at Raquel who had just taken the clip out of her hair. She ran her fingers through her waves.

He nodded a little, "Nevermind then. I guess I'll see you there."

---------------------

Raquel watched as Jeff left the room. If she didn't know better, she would say he looked a little…disappointed. She didn't know why he would be though.

"We should probably get going," Victor spoke up. "We don't wanna keep your friends waiting."

She laughed a little, "Trust me, they're used to me keeping them waiting."

---------------------

_Later…_

John smiled when Bri finished telling him what she thought of the show. She'd been gushing about it since they left Rodrigo's house. He loved that she was so interested. It was cute.

"Sorry, I just babbled on for a while there, didn't I?" she laughed.

"A little," he nodded. "But I didn't mind."

"Good," she smiled.

"So," he sighed. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something. What's up?"

He looked over at her as they pulled up to a red light. She smiled at him and he was immediately wary of her expression. It was the look she got when she was up to something.

"What do you think of Brian Kendrick?" she asked.

John raised a brow, a little surprised, "I don't know..he's a good kid..Why?"

"He's a nice, responsible guy, isn't he?" she asked.

"I..guess," he nodded, wondering where she was going with this. "Why?"

"Well," she ran a hand through her hair as the light changed. "What do you think of the idea of Gia dating him?"

John laughed, "That would not happen."

John had already warned the guys not to lay a hand on Gia.

"What if it was..kind of..already in the works," she bit her bottom lip, looking a bit nervous.

"What do you mean already in the works?" John frowned.

"Say, oh, I don't know, maybe he asked her to come to dinner with him tonight," she shrugged.

"He asked her to dinner?" John asked, surprised. "Nobody ran this by me."

"I know but you just said that Brian's a good guy," she pointed.

"Yeah, I said that before I knew he was making moves on Gia," John said, feeling himself start speeding. He didn't like this at all.

---------------------

Brianna knew she needed to get to work on this. They were going to be at the restaurant soon and she had to have him calm and cool by then. She smiled a little at how bothered he was. He wasn't furiously angry just.._incredibly _uncomfortable. She always thought it was cute that he was so protective of her sister. She shook her head, focusing on the task at hand.

"He isn't _making moves _on her. He hasn't even asked her to go anywhere _alone _yet," she said. "Essentially, all they're doing is riding in a car together."

"Do you know how many things can happen in a car?" he asked.

Brianna giggled.

"It's not funny," John said, looking over at her.

"Yeah it is," she nodded. "You're cute when you get all riled up."

"It's not cute," he said. "_You_ should be more concerned."

"Why?" she laughed.

"She's only 19," John said, pulling into the parking lot and finding a space. "And he's on the road year round. He's got girls throwing themselves at him. You cant trust a guy in this business."

He parked the car, looking annoyed.

"You're in the business too," she said. "And I trust you more than anyone I know."

She put her hand over his, lightly running her thumb over his knuckles.

"If he's learned anything from being around you," she looked up at him. "Then he's perfect."

He was trying to hide it but she could see the smile threatening to reveal itself. She had him right where she wanted him. She was a little surprised, but quite pleased that she could still work him so easily. She wasn't exactly lying but she was laying it on pretty thick. He could be quite a sucker sometimes. It was adorable. She opened her door, getting out of the car and he did the same. The met near the hood and she smiled up at him, "So..will you do me a favor?"

"What?" he asked.

"Just _try_ to be nice and accepting," she said. "And _don't_ try to scare Brian away from Gia."

He seemed to be thinking about it but he didn't say anything right away.

She batted her eyelashes at him, "_Pleeease_…I'd _really_ appreciate it."

He shook his head, smiling at her, "Why is it so hard to say no to you?"

"I don't know," she laughed, taking his hands. "I guess I'm just kinda cute."

"I guess," he smiled. He looked toward the entrance to the restaurant, sighing.

"Come on," she smiled, linking their fingers and releasing his other hand, pulling him toward the door. "It wont be that bad."

---------------------


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, sorry it took a little while for the update..Here it is! I've got Wednesday off so there should be another one before the day is done, as always Read, Enjoy, & Review!**

**Chapter 19...**

Raquel forced a smile across the table at Victor as he spoke. She was amazed. He had such potential. He was absolutely gorgeous with his chiseled features and piercing eyes. He was just the type she wanted; handsome, successful, and intelligent. And yet he had to be the most boring person she could ever remember spending time with. She poked at her pasta with her fork, trying to remember what he was talking about. All she's heard about since they got into the car to come to the restaurant was work. He'd talked about contracts, figures, and files. Nothing more. She'd tried to pay attention at first. She really had but now she hadn't heard anything he said in about 5 minutes and either he hadn't noticed her disinterest or he didn't care. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

She sighed, looking around the restaurant. Her friends were spread out around a few different tables. She looked for her sisters, spotting them rather quickly. Brianna was sitting at a table with John, Maria, Trish, Shelton, and Randy. Gia was sitting in a booth with Brian, Andrew, and Paul London. Both of them looked like they were having fun. She wished she could say the same for herself. Suddenly, she found herself wondering where Jeff was. She remembered the strange look on his face when he met Victor. It didn't make sense. She and Jeff had gone out of their way to show their dislike for each other for months. So why did he look so…She shook her head a little. Her boredom was making her mind wander to strange places. She hated Jeff, Jeff hated her. That's how things were meant to be. She looked back to Victor, who was still talking, occasionally taking a break to drink some of his water. This _definitely _wasn't how she expected her night to go.

---------------------

"Hey," Matt walked over to his brother, drink in hand. "Raquel's over there. We should go say 'hi'."

Jeff looked up from his own drink, "Why would I want to do that?"

Matt rolled his eyes, "Just come on."

Jeff wasn't in the mood to argue so he followed his brother over to the table where Raquel and her new little boyfriend were sitting. She was absently pushing her pasta around her plate and he seemed to be talking about something that she wasn't terribly interested in. If he was so boring, why was she there with him?

"Hey guys," Matt smiled.

"Hi Matt," Raquel smiled. She looked at Jeff for a second but didn't say anything.

Victor offered a quick wave.

Jeff nodded to Raquel, then to her companion, "Vic."

"Victor," he corrected.

Jeff shrugged, "Whatever."

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds. Jeff was looking around, wondering why Matt had dragged him over here. Victor was looking up at them as if they'd interrupted something important. Matt's eyes were on Raquel and Raquel was just looking down at her food again.

"So Victor," Matt spoke up. "What did you think of our little Rocky's debut tonight?"

Raquel looked up, smiling.

"Actually I didn't see it," Victor answered.

Raquel's pleased expression turned to a look of surprise.

Victor shrugged, "I wanted to but I had some work to do."

Raquel was obviously displeased and Jeff couldn't help but be amused. She'd chosen to hang out with this guy instead of her friends.

"You know, if you wanna get in her pants, you might wanna get better at sucking up," Jeff suggested. "Raquel likes to know you're paying attention to her every second of every day."

Raquel and Victor both looked offended.

She stared at him, "What is your problem?"

"I don't have one," Jeff answered. "I was just trying to help Vic out."

"_Victor_," the attorney corrected him again.

Jeff rolled his eyes, "Same thing."

"You know, maybe we should go see how everyone else is doing," Matt suggested.

Jeff shrugged.

Matt turned and walked away from the table and Jeff followed, knowing his older brother was annoyed with him. He didn't see why though. He didn't do anything wrong.

Once they were far enough away, Matt turned to him, annoyed, "Why did you just act like that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jeff insisted. "I acted normal."

Matt shook his head, "Whatever."

---------------------

Brianna laughed as Maria told a story about the time Shelton and John pulled a prank on her.

"That's horrible," Brianna laughed, hitting John on the leg.

"At least we can all laugh about it now," Shelton said.

"I never wanna see either of you in my bikinis ever again," Maria pointed.

"I'm not makin' any promises," John laughed.

Maria smirked, noting the body language displayed by John and her newfound friend. They'd all finished eating so they were just sitting around comfortably. John had his right arm over the back of Brianna's chair and she was turned slightly toward him in her seat, her legs touching his. He'd turned the hat he gave her sideways on her head. Occasionally he looked over at her, smiling, obviously amused that she was still covered in his gear. John never looked this relaxed around Paula. He just wasn't himself in general when she was around. He had been at first but for a while now, he usually just seemed tense and annoyed when she was around. Typically, they ended up going back to the hotel earlier than everyone else because of Paula complaining about something.

"So," Maria smiled. "Have you decided what you're gonna do about Brooke's performance yet?"

"Not yet," Brianna admitted.

"Why not?" Shelton asked.

"I have a lot going on right now," she explained. "I mean, I have the show, plus the VMAs are in August and I'm already starting to get calls about performances..I'm not sure I can take more on right now."

Shelton nodded, "Yeah, that's understandable."

Maria lightly kicked Shelton's leg.

"Ouch," he looked over at her, confused.

"You should just tell her you cant do it then," Randy suggested. Maria would have kicked him too but he was too far away. And knowing Randy, he would kick her back.

"I'm thinking about just choreographing the steps and then having my assistant Rob help Brooke with the performance," Brianna said. "I mean, it'd be a good opportunity for him to develop a relationship with a client."

"But Brooke wants you," John said.

Maria nodded in agreement.

"Rob's great," Brianna shrugged, taking a sip of her drink. "And it would be my choreography, just Rob helping her with the execution and all that."

"But I think she really has her heart set on working with _you_," John said.

"I know," Brianna sighed. "I told her I'd let her know tomorrow so I've got a bit more time to think about it."

"Well I vote you take the job and hang out with us for a few weeks," Maria suggested. "But that's just me."

John smiled at her, "Me too."

---------------------

Brianna finished her drink, trying to hide her smile. She was enjoying the way John was looking at her but she didn't want anyone to know. It seemed her every move was being analyzed lately. She looked over at him and his expression had changed. He was staring suspiciously at something over Shelton's shoulder. Brianna sighed when she saw what he was looking at. Brian and Gia.

"Will you stop?" she laughed.

"Look at how they're sitting," John said. "He's obviously hitting on her."

"How is he hitting on her by the way he's sitting?" Brianna asked.

"They're sitting the same way you two are sitting," Shelton pointed out.

"No, this is completely different," John insisted.

"Doesn't look that different to me," Maria smirked.

"It's different," Brianna spoke up.

"See?" John said.

Nobody dared argue with him. He perked up a little when Brian got up from their table, walking in their direction, presumably toward the bathroom, which wasn't far behind them.

---------------------

Brian smiled, walking away from the table. He was having a great time getting to know Gia. She was amazing. She was incredibly intelligent but not in a superior, egotistical way. She was funny. And she had the cutest laugh. She'd asked him a lot of questions so it seemed like she was as interested in him as he was in her. The only problem was John. He was a really cool guy but he had warned everyone to stay away from Gia and Brian wasn't sure how he would react to him going against that.

"Hey Brian!"

_Speak of the Devil…_

John was sitting with Maria, Shelton, Randy, and Brianna. The bigger man smiled, waving him over. Brian didn't really get scared, even when someone bigger posed a threat to him. And he and John were friends. But there was something about this that made him a little nervous.

Brian hesitantly walked over to the table.

"I just wanna talk to you for a second, I wont keep you long," John smiled his easygoing smile.

"Okay," Brian nodded.

"Come here," John motioned for him to lean down. "I wanna make sure you hear this clearly."

Brian leaned down, tentative. With good reason. Just as he got close, John grabbed the front of his shirt, roughly pulling him down further so that they're face to face.

"Listen to me Brian," John said, his tone very serious. "I want you to understand something..If you ever, _ever_ do anything to hurt Gia…I will kill you and bury you where _no one_ will find you…Got it?"

Brian nodded, just wanting John to let him go. He did and Brian stood up quickly.

John smiled, patting him on the back, "You have a good night."

---------------------

Brianna stared after poor Brian, then turned to John. He had quite a satisfied little smirk on his face. She reached out, smacking him hard upside his head.

"What the hell?" he looked over at her.

"Didn't I ask you _not_ to try and scare Brian?" she asked.

"I wasn't being scary," John shrugged. "I was just havin' a little fun with him."

"He looked like he was gonna piss his pants," Brianna said, trying not to laugh. It wasn't funny…well, not _really_ funny.

John shrugged, "That's not my fault."

She didn't want to smile but something about the glint in his blue eyes made that impossible, "What am I gonna do with you?"

He smiled in response to her question and Brianna prayed someone started talking soon before she did something reckless.

She heard a wind chime coming from her purse. Not a second later, she heard the first few seconds of Eminem's 'Shake That' coming from Maria's bag.

The two women looked at each other and then pulled out their phones.

Brianna flipped hers open, seeing she had a text from Raquel.

_Help Me. Now._

She held up her phone, showing Maria the message.

"I got the same thing," Maria nodded.

Maria sighed, as they both stood up, "Excuse us gentlemen."

"Where you goin'?" John asked.

"I think we have a little search and seizure mission," Brianna said. "We'll be back."

---------------------

Raquel could barely suppress a sigh of relief when Brianna, Trish, and Maria walked toward her table.

"Hey there," Trish smiled.

Maria and Brianna both waved.

"We haven't met yet," Brianna extended her hand to Victor. "I'm Raquel's sister Brianna."

"Nice to meet you," he smiled, shaking her hand. "Victor Allen."

"You guys mind if we join you?" Maria asked.

Raquel tried not to seem too eager. She shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

"Wonderful," Trish smiled as each of them pulled up a chair. "So..what's up?"

_Later…_

Brianna felt herself dozing off as Victor talked. She was resting her chin in her hand not bothering to focus on whatever it was he was talking about. She could see why Raquel had them come over. Hanging out with Victor was about as entertaining as watching paint dry.

_At least paint fumes make you a little loopy_

They'd all tried to liven things up. Maria, Trish, Brianna, and Raquel had all told entertaining stories, joked and made fun of each other and the entire time, though they tried to pull him into the conversation, Victor was quiet. Then, Brianna made the mistake of encouraging Victor to tell them more about himself. He'd told one story about a prank he and some friends pulled in college that wasn't even remotely funny and now he was talking about work.

Brianna could understand a person loving what they do. She did and most of the people she knew felt the same way but damn, she didn't talk about dance every second of every day. She looked over at Maria who looked just as bored and tired as she did. She was looking down at her nails and then back up at Victor. Then she rolled her eyes, looking down at her nails again. Brianna turned, looking at Trish. At a glance, with the small smile on her face, Trish seemed to be the most interested in Victor's babbling but anyone who was paying attention could see that she'd had the same expression for about 10 minutes and she wasn't really looking at Victor. Her gaze was focused just slightly behind him. She wasn't looking at anything in particular, she was probably just dreaming about being anywhere but there. Raquel was still pushing pasta around her plate. The waitress had asked her at least three times if she wanted a box for it but each time she said no. She probably needed it around to keep herself awake.

"I need to go um..powder my nose," Brianna stood up, stifling a yawn.

"Me too," Maria stood quickly, "Raquel, Trish, you coming?"

Raquel pulled her purse up onto her shoulder, "Sure."

Trish was still staring into space.

"Trish, honey," Brianna said quietly, leaning down next to the blonde.

"Hmm?" Trish snapped out of it.

"Powder room?" Brianna smiled.

"Oh," Trish stood. "Yeah, let's go."

---------------------

"So you went over there and acted like a total asshole?" John finished his drink.

"I wasn't an asshole," Jeff said.

"Of course not," John smirked. "'Cause it's never you."

Jeff frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, not every altercation between you and Raquel is _her_ fault," John said.

"Yes it is," Jeff insisted. "She's a crazy little egomaniac."

John laughed, "This is true, but she's not the only one with an ego."

"What?"

"Dude, everyone has an ego to some extent," John said. "Even you."

"It's nothing like hers," Jeff insisted.

"But it's there," John said. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe a part of the problem between you two is _your_ ego?"

Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Seriously," John said. "Yes, Raquel started to hate you because you didn't call her after you two had sex but she's admitted that. She knows it isn't the most rational thing in the world but that's just the way her mind works and she's honest about it."

"Your point?"

"Why don't you admit that a part of you dislikes the fact that _she_ didn't call _you_?" John questioned.

Jeff didn't answer for a second.

John smiled.

Jeff shook his head, "You're way off."

"I don't think I am," John said. "I mean, come on, you're used to girls falling all over you and she didn't…you cant expect me to believe it doesn't bug you, at least a little, that she wasn't acting like the others."

John could tell from the look on his friend's face that he'd struck a chord but he knew Jeff would never admit it. John smiled, that was okay though, he was fine with the satisfaction of knowing that he was right.

---------------------

"Seriously..my grandma is more entertaining than that guy," Maria pointed as the girls entered the bathroom. Trish locked the door behind them.

"Guys, I'm a little concerned," Brianna said, trying not to laugh. "I really don't think he has a life."

"You've got yourself a winner there Raquel," Trish put an arm over Raquel's shoulders.

"I think I fell asleep for a good five minutes before you got there," Raquel sighed. "How can someone that attractive be that…-"

"Depressing?" Maria suggested. "He really brought my whole night down."

"Mine too," Brianna laughed.

"Can we ditch him?" Maria asked.

"No we cant ditch him," Trish laughed.

"We cant?" Raquel laughed.

"Trish is right," Brianna said. "There's gotta be something we can do though..I don't feel right leaving my sister alone with him."

"You better not," Raquel said.

"I vote we just leave him here," Maria said.

Brianna smiled, unlocking the door and holding it open, "I think I have an idea. If this fails, then he truly is the most boring man on Earth."

"Is that really in question?" Raquel laughed, walking out.

Brianna and Trish followed. Everyone made their way back to Victor but Brianna took a quick detour, walking up behind John, putting her hands on his shoulders, leaning down a little, "I need your help Cena."

He looked up, "Help with what?"

---------------------

_½ Hour Later…_

Brianna looked over at John as he parked the car in front of the hotel. He still refused to let her drive, even though she was just supposed to be dropping him off at the hotel.

"I cant believe even _you_ couldn't make that guy tolerable," she laughed as they got out of the car.

Brianna had figured that bringing John and a few other guys over to talk to Victor might make him more comfortable but he ended up just bringing everybody down. Eventually Raquel just sent out a text saying 'I give up, Let's ditch' and they all made some excuse to leave.

"Yeah that was pretty sad," John laughed, gently placing his hand on the small of her back as they walked through the lot in the direction of the side entrance. Brianna was a little surprised at the gesture but she didn't mind. She just enjoyed being close to him. She knew she should really move away but she really didn't have the drive.

---------------------

"So," John lightly moved his thumb on her back as they walked. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Kelis' shoot starts tomorrow," Brianna answered. "I've gotta be up bright and early."

"That should be fun," John looked down at his watch, seeing how late it was.

She nodded, "Brooke is supposed to come to the set on Wednesday..You should come too."

He smiled down at her, "You want me to come watch you work?"

"It's only fair," she shrugged. "I came to watch you work tonight."

"You're right," he agreed. "I'll try to get there."

"You better," she nudged him with her shoulder.

"Or what?" He stopped as they reached the door.

She stood in front of him, "Or I'll be forced to mess you up."

"Ooh, I'm scared," he wiggled his fingers in front of her face.

"You should be," she laughed. "I'm vicious."

Before she could say anything else, she yawned, a tiny squeak escaping her.

"Oh yeah," he laughed. "That's vicious."

She smiled sleepily, "I know."

A breeze blew by and she shivered slightly. Instinctively, he reached forward, running his hand up and down her arm. He was having difficulty keeping his distance from her. He couldn't stop touching her. He'd used every excuse he could all day. He told himself to stop but knowing he should stop and actually stopping were two very, very different things.

"You better get on the road before it gets too late," he said. He didn't want her to leave but it was very late and he didn't want her falling asleep on the job the next day.

"You're right," she nodded, looking almost as reluctant to leave as he was to let her go.

"You better call me when you get there so I know you're safe," he ordered.

"John, the hotel's like 15 minutes away," she laughed. "I think I can make it."

"I don't care," John said. "You still better call."

"Fine, fine," she relented. "I'll call the second I park in the lot."

"Thank you," he said, pulling her into a hug.

She wrapped her arms around him and he squeezed her tightly, rubbing her back. After a few seconds, he leaned back, looking down at her. He wished he could just freeze that moment in time. Just to keep her that close to him for as long as he wanted. He leaned back a little, looking down at her. It was hard to maintain his control when he could feel every part of her against him, when he realized that all he had to do was lean down, just a little, and he could take her lips with his. She wasn't pulling away. Maybe a part of her wanted the same thing he did.

_Or maybe she's not pulling away because you're holding on to her, Genius_

John realized that it was probably time to let her go and he did, taking a small step back, "You should uh..you should get going."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Nick called a few times while we were out. I should call him back before I go to bed."

John felt strangely empty at the mention of her fiancé. Whenever he started to feel like there might actually be something there, Nick came up.

She yawned again and when her hand covered her mouth, her engagement ring caught his eye. It was like a huge red, flashing sign that said 'Move on Loser'. All night, everything he'd taken as flirting, the little touches, the glances, giggles and smiles, that wasn't her being interested in him, that was just Brianna being Brianna. She was an affectionate person. Those things weren't just for him. She was treating him the way she would any other friend. He needed to just accept that she was planning on marrying someone else.

She reached up, giving him a light kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you later."

"Yeah," he nodded, watching as she started to walk away. "See you later."

---------------------

Jeff leaned against the wall waiting for the elevator. Someone really needed to talk to the front desk about it. The damn thing seemed to take an hour every time Jeff needed to get from one floor to another. The lobby was empty save for the clerk behind the front desk and the silence was making Jeff even more tired. He pressed the button again, losing his patience. He just wanted to go to his room and go to sleep. He heard heels clicking behind him and felt a sense of dread, knowing who it was without even turning around. Raquel walked around him, pressing the button and then crossing her arms, making a point not to look at him. He sighed, not in the mood. They stood there for a full minute, neither of them saying a word. She would press the button, then he would press it. They went back and forth until finally she turned toward him glaring, "What is your problem?"

"What's _your_ problem?" he replied.

"You know, I'm used to you being an asshole, I get it, that's your thing," she said. "But what the _hell_ was that earlier?"

Jeff shrugged, "I don't know what you're talking about."

---------------------

"Yes you do," Raquel pointed, frustrated. Even though Victor had been one of the worst dates she'd ever had, she still didn't appreciate the way Jeff treated him. It was completely rude and unnecessary.

"It was nothing," he said.

"So _nothing_ made you act like a _jackass_ to a total stranger?" she asked.

"Pretty much," Jeff shrugged again. She hated his nonchalant, unaffected little shrug. It made her want to slap him.

---------------------

The elevator opened and Jeff stepped on, turning and leaning against the wall. Raquel didn't move right away. She stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed and Jeff was tempted to leave her there to show her he didn't like her bratty little attitude but he knew she wouldn't get it to come back for quite a while so he reluctantly stepped forward, pushing the Open Door button, "Will you just get on the damn elevator?"

She looked surprised and angry.

"They've been running like molasses all day," he said. "You'll be waiting here forever."

"Why the hell do you care?" she glared.

Jeff rolled his eyes, "I don't."

He let go of the button and she looked shocked for a split second, then she jumped on the elevator before the doors closed. They took opposite corners like boxers ready to strike at the sound of the bell. He could feel that she was glaring at him out of the corner of her eye and the last thing he wanted to do was give her the satisfaction of returning the gesture. It was much better to just ignore her. It drove her crazy.

He was jolted from his thoughts when he heard a loud bang.

She jumped, squeaking as the lights above them flashed. The elevator began a very shaky ride up and Jeff looked over, seeing Raquel holding on to the railing behind her. She had such a tight grasp her knuckles were almost white.

"What the hell is going on?" she looked over at him, her voice wavering.

"How would I know?" he said, growing a little nervous himself.

She was about to respond when the elevator lurched downward then stopped completely, each one of the lights going out.

---------------------

Raquel could feel herself beginning to panic.

"What happened?" she asked. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Jeff said.

Raquel felt like she'd suddenly gone blind. The entire car was pitch black.

"I cant see anything," she said.

"That's because the lights went out," Jeff said dryly.

"Go to hell," she snipped.

"Your eyes will adjust, just give it a minute," he said.

She leaned against the wall, trying to take his advice but it was difficult.

She heard him pick up the emergency phone.

"Hello?…Hello?"

He hung it up roughly, "No one there."

"Oh that's just great," she said, feeling her chest grow tight. "What the _hell_ is the point of an emergency phone if no one responds when you have an emergency?"

Raquel started banging on the nearest wall, "Help! Somebody help us, we're stuck! Help!"

After a few minutes, she realized that she was the only one yelling. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness and she turned, seeing Jeff's outline. He was sitting on the floor.

"What are you doing?" she asked angrily.

"It's obvious that no one can hear you," Jeff said. "There's no point in wasting the energy…You might as well take a seat..we're gonna be here for a while."

"I don't want to take a seat," she sneered. " "I wanna get the hell out of here."

---------------------

Brianna flopped down on the bed, setting her IPod down beside her as she turned the TV on. When she got back to the bungalow, she changed into a pair of purple shorts and socks and put in her headphones, preparing for the shoot the next day, running through the movements in her head. She looked down, smiling at her John Cena shirt. She laughed, recalling how enthusiastic John had been about her wearing it. He really had the most adorable smile she'd ever seen. She looked over at the clock, wondering what he was doing, if he was sleeping, if he was up like she was..thinking about her the way she was thinking about him. She shook her head, he was probably with Paula. His girlfriend. Try as she might, Brianna couldn't forget about her. He was committed to her. And she was committed to Nick.

"Shit!" She remembered that she needed to call Nick back. She wanted to have this issue resolved before she went to sleep. She didn't want to talk to him after their earlier conversation but she didn't have much of a choice. She picked up her phone, quickly dialing the number.

"Hello?"

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Maya's asleep," Nick said, his voice cold.

"I would assume so," she said.

"Well I just figured that was who you were calling to talk to," Nick said, annoyed. "Since she's the only one here that you care about."

"That is not true," Brianna insisted.

"It's not?" he laughed bitterly. "Since when? I've been calling you all god damn day and you haven't bothered to answer."

"How can you blame me after the way you talked to me earlier?" she asked, growing angry herself.

"Is that why you didn't answer or were you just too busy for me?" he asked.

"Nick you know damn well why I didn't answer," she said. "You hurt me earlier."

"_How_?" he asked, getting loud. "I was just telling the truth. You were _way_ out of line yelling at me because of what _I_ decided for Maya."

"Are you kidding me?" she said, amazed that he still couldn't see her point. It also amazed her that he could blame all of this on her. He made his being hurtful _her_ fault.

"I was just telling the truth Brianna," he said. "You are _not_ Maya's mother…If that hurts you're feelings, it's not my fault."

Brianna felt tears spring to her eyes. Not because he said she wasn't Maya's mother. She knew that. She was fine with that. But she was the person that had cared for Maya from the day she met her. She did everything for her. She took care of her more than anyone else. She didn't _want_ to be her _mother_. But the way he talked to her, the tone of voice, the things he said, made her feel like he didn't appreciate a thing that she did. Like she was somehow obligated to provide for her, just because he said so. She knew that Maya appreciated her but it was becoming obvious that Nick didn't and that hurt her. A lot. And he didn't care. He didn't feel the least bit guilty.

She sighed, too tired to fight with him. It was useless. He wasn't going to feel bad and she was just going to feel worse and she had to work.

"Listen, I didn't call to talk about this," she said, wiping her thumb under her eyes.

"Then what did you call for?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and explained Brooke's offer to him and what it would entail. He was quiet while she spoke but once she finished, he took a deep breath then decisively said, "No."

---------------------

Raquel heard Jeff hang up the emergency phone and take a deep breath. Her feet were starting to hurt because of her heels and she really needed some good news.

"You might wanna sit down now," Jeff said.

"Why?" she asked, anxious.

"Because it looks like we're stuck until morning."

"_What_?"

"We're stuck," Jeff said. "The maintenance guy said he cant fix it until morning."

Raquel felt herself begin to shake. She couldn't handle the thought of spending her entire night in an elevator. Her heart beat faster and she was getting short of breath.

"I cant do this," she shook her head, pacing. "I cant handle this. I cant stay in this elevator with you all night. I cant."

"Look," Jeff sighed. "Nobody wants you away from me more than _me_ but you don't have to freak out about it."

"I'm not freaking out because of you," she said, running a hand through her hair. "I'm freaking out because I'm claustrophobic."

---------------------

Jeff felt guilty for what he just said.

_Way to go asshole_

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at her. "I didn't know."

"I'm aware of that," she snipped, stopping her pacing.

"Sit down," he said gently. "It might help."

"And how would you know? Hmm?" she asked.

"I _don't_," he said, trying not to get defensive. For once she had a reason to act this way. "But pacing a hole in the floor cant help. I'm just trying to offer you an alternative."

"Well thank you," she said. "But I'd rather stand. The floor in here is probably filthy."

She started pacing again and Jeff tried to think of something to do to help her. He couldn't imagine being a claustrophobic stuck in a dark elevator. She probably felt like she was going to have a heart attack. Sure, he didn't like her very much but he didn't dislike her enough to enjoy watching her go through this. He did the first thing he thought of, pulling his shirt off over his head and laying it on the floor next to him. "You can sit down now."

She seemed reluctant but there was a loud creaking sound and she quickly sat beside him. He could hear that she wasn't breathing normally and though they weren't touching, he could tell she was shaking.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He shrugged, "It's not a big deal."

She leaned against the wall, taking a deep, shaky breath, "We've gotta get out of here soon."

"Don't worry," Jeff said. "It's gonna be okay."

---------------------

"No?" Brianna stared. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"I mean no," Nick said. "You cant do it."

Brianna couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Excuse me?" she almost laughed. "I don't remember asking your permission."

"I don't care," nick said. "I am not going to allow you to be on the road with _John_."

"Why am I not surprised that you would make this about John?" she shook her head.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked angrily.

"Because I wouldn't be _working_ with _John_!" Brianna said through clenched teeth, struggling not to completely lose her temper. "And I wouldn't even be on the road every day.""

"That doesn't matter," Nick said. "You're not doing it."

"Nicholas, you seem to forget that I am an adult," she said. "And I can and will do whatever I want."

"And what is it that you want Brianna?" he fumed. "To spend more time with John?"

"What is wrong with you lately?" she asked, fed up with his stupid jealousy issues. "I live with _you_. I'm engaged to _you_..Don't you trust me?"

"_Not_ with _John_!" Nick answered. "That is why you are _not_ taking that job."

---------------------

"So.." Jeff sighed, deciding someone needed to start talking. It had been quiet for a few minutes. The only sounds he heard were their breathing and the creaking sounds of the faulty old elevator and they weren't exactly comforting. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"He is _not_ my boyfriend," Raquel answered quickly.

"Well whatever he is," Jeff shrugged. "Why aren't you with him?"

"Why do you care?" she asked.

"I don't care," Jeff insisted. "I'm just making conversation."

"You're lying," she said.

"How would you know?" he asked, not appreciating her accusation.

"I can tell," she said. "I know what this is about."

"Oh really?" he rolled his eyes. "What?"

"You're jealous," she accused. "You don't like seeing me with Victor."

Jeff felt the sympathy that he had for her slowly slipping away, "Your ego is _fucking_ astounding. _Why_ would I care about you and Vic?"

"_Victor_," she corrected.

"Whatever," Jeff shrugged.

"You care because you want me for yourself," she said. Though he couldn't clearly see her, he knew there had to be a smug smile on her face.

"You couldn't be more off," Jeff shook his head. "I don't want you."

"Yes you do," she said, her voice so calm and even it made him want to shake her..or kiss her, he couldn't quite decide.

"No I don't," he argued, his teeth grinding. He hated that there was just something about her. No matter how much she annoyed him or pissed him off, there was still an attraction. An intense one. Even in the dark, he couldn't see her but he could feel how close she was and somehow the more they argued, the crazier it drove him. She was entirely too confusing.

"_Why_ would I want you?" he asked. He could admit to himself that a part of him wanted her but there was no way in hell he was about to let her know that. She claimed to know but having confirmation would make her completely intolerable.

"Look at me," she giggled.

Jeff sighed, "Look, I get that you expect every member of the male species to fall at your feet but you need to understand that I do _not_ want you…At least not now that I've gotten to know you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, her bravado briefly slipping.

"It means you're irritating," Jeff said. "You're a whiny little brat."

"Oh really?" she said. "Well if I'm so irritating, why have you been trying so hard to make me feel better?"

"Because I'm not a _complete_ asshole," he insisted.

She scoffed, "I beg to differ."

"You know, we need to just stop talking," Jeff said, moving a few inches away from her. He wasn't sure _what_ he was going to do if they kept fighting but it was probably something stupid. "Maybe we can fall asleep if we just shut up."

They were quiet for a few minutes and Jeff leaned back, hoping he would grow tired again.

"I'm not gonna be able to fall asleep," Raquel said quietly, breaking the silence.

"Why not?" he sighed.

"Because."

"Because _what_?"

"Because I'm scared," she admitted.

Jeff was surprised. He was expecting her to try to start a fight again. It was strange to him that she had just gone from egotistical, smug diva to frightened, vulnerable girl. That wasn't a transition he'd never seen her make before.

"What's why I wanted to keep talking. If I keep talking, even if it's fighting with you, I'm not thinking about the walls closing in on me."

Jeff sighed, moving closer to her again, "The walls aren't closing in..You're fine..Everything is fine."

She looked over at him.

"Yes, we're stuck in this thing but we're getting out in the morning and everything will go back to normal," he said. "Now goodnight."

With that, he moved away again, laying down, beginning to feel tired again. He was beginning to fall asleep, his eyelids drooping when he heard a light sniffling sound.

He sat up, knowing that he couldn't go to sleep with her in this condition. He wouldn't feel right, his father would kill him if he sat idly by and let a woman cry.

He got up, walking over to sit next to her, "I'm sorry for what I said Raquel…You're not always irritating."

"Thanks," she said dryly.

"I'm trying, okay?" he laughed a little.

She sniffed again and Jeff put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her a little closer to him. To his surprise, she didn't fight him. Instead she rested her head on his shoulder. He felt a tear touch his skin and he held her a little tighter.

"It's gonna be okay," he said, resting his chin atop her head. "I wont let anything happen to you."

---------------------

John sat alone in his room, enjoying the peace and quiet. Paula was in Candice's room giving him the silent treatment. She would probably be unhappy to know that he didn't mind it at all. For months, he'd felt like he hadn't had a moment alone. She was always there. And at first he liked it but now he longed for his time away from her. He wasn't sure if it was her fault, or his. If he was growing unhappy with the relationship on his own or if Brianna was acting as an accelerant. He smiled wistfully at the thought of Brianna. Those green eyes were emblazoned in his memory the day he met her and he was convinced that they would always have a hold over him. _She_ would always have a hold over him. He thought back to when he saw her at the arena. He couldn't stand it when he saw her crying. Seeing tears in her eyes made him want to move heaven and earth, whatever it took just to make her feel better. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why she would be with someone who could upset her the way Nick seemed to. She deserved someone who made her happy every second of every day. Even when she wasn't upset, she barely ever smiled when she talked about Nick. It was like she was neutral on her own fiancé. He was there but he didn't really make her happy. So why was she marrying him? And why did it matter to him if she married him? Was he falling for her again? Was he just feeling possessive because she was his first?

He rubbed his face, telling himself not to think about it anymore. It was just making his head hurt.

There was a knock at the door and he figured it was Paula. She left her key in the bathroom. He got up, picking up a t-shirt on his way to the door. He opened it, surprised to see who was on the other side. As if his thoughts had conjured her up, Brianna stood in the hallway.

She smiled weakly at him, "Hey."

John was immediately concerned. She looked exhausted, so what was she doing at his door?

"Can I come in?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah," he moved out of her way.

She walked in, running a hand through her hair.

"Where's Paula?" she looked around.

"With one of her friends," he shrugged, not concerned with her whereabouts. "What are you doing here?"

She was looking at him but she didn't answer his question.

"I was startin to get worried," he joked. "You didn't call."

"Hmm?" she looked up at him.

He quickly realized why she wasn't listening. He had forgotten to put his shirt on. He was tempted to leave it off, enjoying the effect it seemed to have on her but she must have had something important to talk to him about if she came back in the middle of the night so it probably wasn't the best time for games. He pulled the black t-shirt on over his head, "So, what's up?"

"I made a decision tonight," she said.

"Okay," he nodded. "What kind of decision?"

"I'm taking the job with Brooke," she answered.

"You are?" he smiled. "Bri, that's great."

"Yeah," she nodded. The corner of her mouth was lifted but she didn't really seem that enthused.

"Hey," he gently touched her arm. "You don't look that excited. What's wrong?"

"I'm happy I just..I'm a little tired," she explained. "Fighting with Nick like that twice in one day is a little draining."

"What did you two fight about now?" he asked.

She shook her head, almost laughing as she looked down at her hands.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"He doesn't like the idea of me being on the road with the company," she shrugged.

"Why?"

"Well," she sighed, still not looking at him. "He doesn't think he can trust me around you."

"Oh," John nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't say he blamed Nick. He wasn't sure if he trusted himself to be around her. But he didn't really think Nick needed to be worried. Nothing had happened and nothing would happen. At least, he didn't _think_ anything would. What she felt was a complete mystery to him.

"And what do you think?" he asked, stepping closer to her.

She finally looked up from her hands, her eyes meeting his, "I don't know if I would trust me around you either."

That definitely wasn't what John was expecting. His surprised was pushed aside by something else though. He reached forward, brushing her hair behind her ear and cupping her chin in his hand. He tilted her face up to his and leaned down. His lips barely brushed hers when she pulled away from him, nervously running a hand through her hair, "I um..I.."

"You..?" John gestured for her to continue.

"I need to get back," she said. "I have to get up _really_ early tomorrow," she started walking toward the door. He followed behind her, "So I'll see you Wednesday?"

"Mmhmm," she nodded. "Yup. See you Wednesday."

"Night Brianna," He smiled.

"G'night," she quickly opened the door and rushed out. John closed it behind her, smiling as he rested his forehead against it. He was a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to kiss her. But the smile remained on his face because now he knew that even though she'd pulled away…she wanted that kiss just as much as he did.

---------------------

Brianna walked down the hall, her head spinning. John had almost kissed her. His lips had come _this close_ to hers. And it took every ounce of will in her body to pull away. Not letting him kiss her was the hardest thing she'd done in a very, very long time.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

She was engaged. She had a fiancé. Keeping her lips off of another man should have been easy. Not only had she thought about kissing someone else. She was committing herself to spending a great deal of time with that other person against the wishes of her fiancé.

She couldn't help but laugh, "When did my life become a soap opera?"

She heard a door open behind her and hoped that whoever it was hadn't heard her talking to herself.

She turned, spotting two women coming out of one of the rooms a few doors down. One was clad only in a bra and a skirt, her shirt draped over her arm and her shoes in her hand. The other was buttoning her shirt. Then, to Brianna's surprise, she recognized the next person she saw. Randy Orton appeared in the doorway. He was shirtless and his pants were unzipped and unbuttoned. He put his over the shoulders of both smiling women, kissing one quickly, then the other. Brianna could swear she recognized them as well. If memory served, the blonde was a bartender from the restaurant they were at earlier and the brunette had been there with a date.

"Thanks for showing me such a good time…ladies," he smiled, obviously unable to remember their names.

"Shannon," the blonde smiled.

"Tracy," the other one said.

"Right," Randy nodded. "Shannon and Tracy. How could I forget?"

They smiled excitedly.

"Listen I'm gonna give you both a call before I head out," he promised.

"I'm looking forward to it," Shannon trailed a finger down Randy's chest.

"Me too," Tracy said competitively. She kissed Randy's cheek and then the two women began to make their way down the hall, simultaneously giggling about their night and eyeing each other suspiciously. They brushed past Brianna and then she looked over her shoulder, seeing that Randy was still in the doorway, watching them leave. He noticed her standing there and gave her a wink before going back into his room, closing the door.

_Well that was interesting._

---------------------

Jeff yawned, trying not to move too much. A few minutes earlier he'd heard Raquel's breathing slow down and now he was sure that she had fallen asleep. Her head was on his chest, her arm draped over him. He couldn't believe how quickly things had turned around. They'd gone from fighting to practically cuddling. It was just the circumstances though, this peace was never going to last. He yawned again and decided to try and get a little sleep. Maintenance would have the elevator running in a few hours.

---------------------


	20. Chapter 20

**I was kind of rushing to get this chapter out so sorry if it's not that great. I wanted to write Sunday but then I slept more than I meant to and then there was football and when there's football..well, let's just say I don't do much else. And then tonight there was football and Raw and more football and yeah...i got a little caught up. I'll update again, within the next day or two, I promise. Read, Enjoy, & Review!**

**Chapter 20...**

"Wait a minute," Randy picked up a couple towels as he and John walked out of the hotel gym. He handed one to his friend, "You're telling me you want to dump Paula because you _think_ Brianna _might_ want you back?"

Randy knew this was going to happen. People were so damn predictable sometimes.

"I said I was _thinking_ about breaking up with Paula," John corrected, pulling his t-shirt on as they made their way down the hall. "And I _know_ she wants me back."

"Did she tell you that?" Randy asked.

"Not exactly," John admitted.  
"Then you don't know," Randy laughed.

"I could just tell," John shrugged.

"Because she _almost_ let you kiss her?" Randy smirked.

"If you knew Brianna, you'd get why that means something," John said. "When she's with the person she wants to be with, she wouldn't even let another guy get close enough to kiss her. It just wouldn't happen."

"Dude, you've only seen her with one guy other than you," Randy laughed.

"And when she was with me, she would _never_ have let someone else kiss her," John smiled, obviously feeling smug.

"John, you're famous. You're one of the biggest names in our business, you're on TV, you have a movie coming out, you make a _lot_ of money," Randy reminded him. "Chicks are all over us all the time. She's gonna be tempted. It doesn't mean you two are gonna get married and have a bunch of babies."

"Bro, she doesn't care about that," John said. "You should see her place, she has more than enough money of her own. And she's on TV too."

"Yeah but how many people watch So You Think You Can Dance?" Randy made a face.

"It's the highest rated summer show," John answered. "Bri told me Fox picked it up for two more seasons before this one was even in it's third week."

"Whatever," Randy shrugged. "A _near_ kiss doesn't mean anything. You're gettin' all whipped over nothing."

"I'm not whipped," John laughed. "And it's not nothing."

---------------------

Brianna turned her hat to the back, breathing a little heavily. She was trying not to get frustrated with the dancers but it was difficult. They had to get into hair, makeup, and wardrobe in a few hours and it seemed that half of them had forgotten the choreography they'd been working on for a week. Kelis would be there in an hour to work on the routine and Brianna wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She absolutely loved the singer as a person but she wasn't the greatest dancer in the world. Brianna wanted the rest of the dancers perfect so that once Kelis got there, she could focus most of her attention on her. It didn't help that one section of the choreography was to be done blindfolded. They'd done it perfectly before though, more than once. She just needed to get them back to that point. That would have been easier if she could manage to focus. Her mind kept drifting to John and how close they were the night before. She kept thinking about how he smelled and how incredible he looked with his shirt off.

_Damn it Bri, focus_

She had worked up a sweat from running through the routine so many times so she pulled off the tank top she was wearing, leaving her in a sports bra and baggy pants. She tossed the shirt aside, picking up a water bottle, "So I'm a little confused…I'm not with you guys for, what, two days and everything goes to hell?" No one said anything.

"Melissa, Shae, Brenda, and Fallon, you go take a break," Bri instructed, pulling her pants up a little. The four of them were currently doing a great job.

"Natalie, you come up here with me," she waved the young woman up. Natalie was the best dancer on the shoot, and admittedly, a favorite of Brianna's. This was her eighth time working with the young woman and definitely not her last.

"The rest of you are gonna watch Natalie and I go through it once, then we're all gonna work this until it's right. Okay?"

The remaining dancers nodded. Brianna pulled the stereo remote out of her pocket and restarted the song. She held up two fingers, letting Natalie know they were working on the second of the four routines.

"5..6..7..8.."

Brianna and Natalie went through the routine with Bri counting or calling out the movements, making sure the other dancers were watching. Once they finished, she paused the song, turning to the others, "I _know_ you all can do that."

Brianna heard her phone ringing in her bag near the door.

"And you will," she smiled. "After a brief break."

A few of them laughed as she ran over to her bag.

_10 Minutes Later…_

Brianna walked back toward the dancers, most of them were going over the steps together. Natalie was sitting against the mirrored wall. She smiled as Brianna approached, "Who was that? John?"

Brianna laughed at Natalie's sing-song voice. Natalie was the first dancer to arrive at the studio that morning and when she asked why Bri was so tired, Brianna told her about her night.

"Was he calling to tell you he cant live without you?" Natalie wiggled her eyebrows.

"_Why_ did I tell you anything?" Bri asked, sitting beside her, watching the other dancers rehearse. The four she'd sent on break returned and joined in.

"Because you needed someone who wouldn't judge your every thought and action," Natalie reminded her.

"Right," Brianna nodded.

"You didn't say I couldn't tease you a little," Natalie shrugged.

"It wasn't him," Brianna said. "It was Maya."

"Is that the little girl you brought to the Candyman shoot?"

Brianna nodded, smiling.

"She's so cute," Natalie smiled. "What'd she say?"

"She's packing for a trip and she wanted to know what I thought she should take," Bri explained. "_And_ she wanted to talk to John."

"She likes him?"

Bri nodded, "Quite a bit."

"I cant blame her," Natalie said. "My little brother loves wrestling and I've seen that guy. He's _gorgeous_."

"Yes he is," Brianna nodded. "He's even better when you get to know him."

Natalie was about to say something but Brianna held up a hand, "Don't forget why I told you."

"Fine, fine," Natalie relented.

"Alright ladies," Brianna stood up, then reached down, helping Natalie up. "Let's run through the second setup, this time we're gonna do it with the blindfolds on."

---------------------

Raquel yawned, rubbing her head as she rolled over in bed. She blinked, squinting against the light from the window. She rolled the other way, opening her eyes to look at the clock. Maintenance had gotten she and Jeff out of the elevator at 5 A.M. Jeff walked her back to her room before making his way to his own. She fell asleep about 15 minutes later. It was now Noon and she didn't have the slightest desire to get up. Panicking the way she did the night before took a lot out of her. She hugged her pillow, closing her eyes again, hoping she could get back to sleep before someone called or came to her door. An unfamiliar scent touched her nose, not unpleasant, just unfamiliar. It smelled like a mix of soap and cologne. She opened her eyes, looking at the arm she had wrapped around her pillow.

_Well that explains it_

She was wearing Jeff's t-shirt. She couldn't remember why she had it on but the scent was strangely..comforting. She thought back to the way he took care of her in the elevator. Sure, they fought for a while first but in the end, he'd actually been there for her. It was a surprise..A nice one. She couldn't believe she was having pleasant thoughts about Jeff. It was completely foreign to her. But as long as no one else knew about it, it was okay. She closed her eyes again, nuzzling the pillow as she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

---------------------

"Dad, I don't know if that's a good idea," Shane shook his head.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Vince asked.

"I don't know it's just kind of..an invasion of privacy," Shane shrugged.

"How so?" Vince asked.

Shane shook his head, knowing there was no point in arguing. When his father thought he had a good idea, he was going to roll with it, regardless of what anyone else said.

"Nevermind Dad," Shane said. "I'll make a couple calls and get it set up."

Vince smiled, "Good."

---------------------

_Wednesday…_

"Come on Rocky, Bri told us to be there at noon," John said, waiting in the doorway of Raquel's room.

"Oh shutup, you're only in this much of a rush 'cause you wanna make out with my sister," Raquel walked out of the bathroom, stepping into the shoes she'd placed by the bed.

John was beginning to regret telling her about what happened..well, almost happened, with Brianna. They had breakfast together and she'd told him about her elevator ordeal and before he knew it, he was telling her about Bri.

"Watch it," John pointed. "There isn't very much keeping me from telling Jeff how sweet you think he is all of a sudden."

She glared at him, "I never said he was sweet. I said it was _somewhat_ sweet of him to try and comfort me that night."

"And you said it with this little gleam in your eye," John teased as she walked out past him.

"Don't start with me Cena," she warned.

"What?" John laughed. "I'm just sayin' it's kinda cute that you two got stuck together and had to cuddle to keep each other warm."

"Eww," Raquel shook her head as they reached the elevator.

"You know, it's nice to have something to harass you about," John said. "Now I get why you have so much fun messing with me and Bri."

"What kind of a friend are you?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

"The best kind," John put an arm around her shoulders. "The kind that gets great joy out of your discomfort."

She elbowed him in the side.

"By the way," he said. "Just for that, you're sittin in the backseat with Jeff."

---------------------

_1 Hour Later…_

John and the rest of the group followed as one of the production assistants led them down to the set. He could hear the song playing loudly and assumed that they were currently shooting. They walked down a short set of stairs and then found themselves surrounded by a bunch of equipment, fans lighting, and a few cameras. He could see the director sitting in a chair behind the camera with a monitor next to him.

"There they are," the PA pointed and John followed her direction, spotting Kelis and the dancers. The set was almost like a warehouse and the dancers were in varying skimpy leather outfits. He struggled to keep his mouth from dropping open when he saw Brianna. She was in a black leather bra, matching shorts that barely covered her, black fingerless gloves, and stiletto heeled boots that came up to her knees. Her hair was flowing in waves and looked a tiny bit damp and her skin was glistening thanks in part to oil and beads of sweat. John knew she had a great body, that was obvious enough in clothes, but he hadn't seen it in this state of undress in a while and the sight was mesmerizing. Not to mention the way she was moving. His focus was solely on her as her hips moved to the music, and he could see the muscles in her toned stomach.

"You might wanna close your mouth John," Raquel advised. "Something might fly in."

He did so but couldn't bring himself to stop watching her.

"She's a great dancer huh?" Raquel smirked.

"Yeah," John nodded, not really paying attention to the choreography. "Great dancer."

"Cut," the director yelled. "Very nice ladies. That's lunch, I'll see you all in two hours."

The lights came up and everyone started milling around.

"I'll tell Brianna you're all here," the assistant smiled, beginning to walk away.

Brianna pulled her blindfold off, handing it to someone and going to talk to the director. They watched some of the video on his monitor, pointing things out to each other and speaking in hushed tones, both of them nodding. The PA walked over, looking a little nervous to interrupt their conversation. Brianna looked up, giving her a smile and she relaxed. John couldn't hear anything they were saying but after a few seconds, Brianna looked in their direction, her smile growing brighter. She quickly said something to the director, patted the PA on the shoulder and then rushed toward them.

"Hey everybody!" she smiled. "I'd hug you but I'm all greased up..Gimme like five minutes to change. I'll be right back."

"I'm coming with," Raquel announced.

"Okay," Bri shrugged. "_We'll _be back."

She turned to walk away and Raquel walked past John, giving him a mischievous smile. Great, just what he needed, Raquel was up to something.

---------------------

"I thought lunch was supposed to be at noon," Raquel said as she and Brianna walked.

"No, I just figured you'd make everybody run late so I told you noon so you'd be here on time," Brianna laughed, taking off her gloves as they walked out of the studio and through the lot, toward her trailer.

"Nice," Raquel laughed.

They entered the trailer and Bri tossed her gloves on the counter.

"Jesus, it's freezing in here," Raquel wrapped her arms around herself.

"That's how I like it," Brianna laughed. "Perks of being the choreographer."

"Freak," Raquel laughed as her sister began wiping her oil off with a towel.

"You should leave it on," Raquel said. "John looked like he was gonna have a heart attack when he saw you all half naked and oiled up."

Bri laughed, continuing to wipe herself down.

"So is Brooke supposed to be here soon?"

Bri nodded, "Yeah, in about 15 minutes."

"And you're gonna tell her you're taking the job?"

Brianna grabbed a pair of sweatpants off of the small couch behind her and pulled them on over her shorts, "Yup."

"I'm sure she'll be happy," Raquel nodded, sitting on the couch.

Bri pulled on a shirt, "Yeah, I'm sure she will."

She picked up a brush and started to pull her hair up.

Raquel crossed her arms, "So you're really not gonna tell me about what happened last night?"

Brianna stopped brushing, turning to face her sister, still holding her hair in her hand, "What?"

"I cannot believe you," Raquel shook her head slowly. "You almost make out with John and don't tell me?"

"I didn't tell you because it was nothing," Brianna said. "Almost doesn't count."

"Yes it does," Raquel insisted.

"No it doesn't," Brianna laughed, finishing her hair. "It was a momentary lapse in judgment."

"You are a horrible liar," Raquel pointed.

"What?" Bri laughed.

"If it was really nothing, you would have told me," Raquel said. "You tell me _everything_. You didn't this time because-"

"Because it was _nothing_," Brianna cut her off, pulling off her boots and putting on a pair of gym shoes. "Now let's go..I'm hungry."

---------------------


	21. Chapter 21

**Another short one, I apologize, but this chapter had to end where it ends so the next chapter will come out the way I want it to..Now, before you read, I just want to say a big, huge thank you to everyone who reads and enjoys the story, especially those of you that leave such awesome reviews. You all kick some serious ass, major ass even...Yeah, i'm a little tired but even in my delirium, there is a point: When I get stressed, I write, I just got a promotion so I'm under a lot of stress, you all motivate me to write more, which, in turn, relieves my stress..So thank you for enjoying the story and keeping me stress-free. I'm sure my boyfriend would thank you too. Big hugs! Read, Enjoy, & Review!**

_**Oh, and if there's anyone who wanted to read more of the story Lovesick that I briefly had on here, just let me know and I'll send it to you as I write it or something. Thanks!**_

**Chapter 21...**

John watched as Brooke excitedly hugged Brianna after she gave her the news. After Brooke let her go, Hulk pulled her into a hug and John laughed at the expression on Bri's face. From the looks of it, Hulk was squeezing the life out of her.

"Excuse me…Mr. Cena?"

John turned when he heard the voice behind him, seeing a young man with a headset on. He looked anxious and excited.

"Call me John," he said. "And you are..?"

"Max," the young man shook John's outstretched hand. "My name's Max. I'm a _huge_ fan."

"Always nice to meet a fan," John smiled. "I take it you're working."

"I'm helping out with the lighting," Max explained. "What are you doing here? Are you gonna be in the video?"

John laughed, shaking his head, "Not to my knowledge. I'm just visiting. The choreographer is a good friend of mine."

"Yeah? How do you guys know each other?" Max asked.

"We grew up together," John shrugged.

"Cool," Max nodded. "Um..do you think maybe I could get your autograph or something?"

---------------------

Raquel looked around as Brianna talked to Brooke, Hulk, and Linda. She really didn't have anything to say about Brooke's performance so she didn't want to just stand there silent. After a few seconds, she spotted Jeff sitting alone at a table, cell phone pressed to his ear. She walked over, pulling out the chair adjacent to his.

"Listen, I'll call you back."

He hung up the phone, putting it in his pocket as he looked at her, "Hey."

"Hey," she smiled, sitting down.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Sure."

"It's about the other night," Raquel said, putting her purse down on the table.

"Our elevator adventure?" Jeff sighed, shaking his head. "What about it?"

"I was hoping that…" she looked down at her hands. "That you would keep my little claustrophobia issue to yourself?"

"Little?" Jeff gave her a look.

"Fine, my intense fear of enclosed spaces," she looked back up at him. "I just don't want you to tell anyone."

"Why would it matter?" Jeff asked, looking confused.

"I don't like for people to know my weaknesses. It's just a thing," Raquel shrugged.

Jeff shrugged, "Okay. I'll keep it between you and me."

Raquel smiled, feeling relieved. She'd expected more resistance from him.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"No problem," he said, leaning his elbows on the table.

"And thanks again for.." she ran a hand through her hair. "Keeping me calm that night. I felt like I was gonna have a heart attack."

"It was nothing," Jeff assured her. "I mean, everyone's afraid of something."

Raquel smirked, "And what are you afraid of?"

Jeff smiled, "I cant tell you that."

"Why not?" she laughed. "It's only fair."

"I don't think so," he smiled. "It's a secret."

"You're really not gonna tell me?" she asked.

He looked into her eyes, leaning closer to her.

She smiled. She wasn't sure why he was looking at her the way he was but she wasn't opposed to it, especially if it meant he was going to tell her. She got a great deal of joy out of knowing things that others didn't.

"Hey guys."

Raquel tried not to roll her eyes as Matt pulled up a chair across from her.

"What are you two talking about?" Matt asked.

Jeff winked at Raquel so quickly she was sure Matt didn't catch it, then leaned back in his chair, "Nothing."

---------------------

John looked down at his watch, realizing he'd been talking to this Max guy for 20 minutes. He was a nice enough kid but he seemed to have a lot of questions about him and Brianna. John answered most of them but it was starting to get a little..weird.

"So you two used to go out and then you didn't talk and now you're trying to be friends?" Max asked.

John nodded. He'd given Max a pretty watered down version of his relationship with Brianna, hoping that would be enough to stop his questions.

"This is new for us," John shrugged. "And it'll be interesting since I'm pretty sure she's gonna be on the road with us in a matter of days."

"Why?" John asked.

"Brooke Hogan is singing at Summerslam and she asked Brianna to choreograph her performance," John explained. "She's gonna be spend some time on the road with us to help her out."

"Are my ears burning?"

John smiled when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked down to see Brianna next to him.

"Hi," she smiled at Max. "I'm Brianna Kavner."

"I know," Max smiled. "Your choreography is really great."

"Thank you," she smiled, looking a little surprised. "Listen, I hate to interrupt but..can I borrow him for a minute?"

"Sure," Max shrugged.

"Thanks," Brianna took John's hand.

John followed her as she led him off the set and down the hall. She stopped walking when they were far enough away from the noise of the set, turning to face him.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Who was that?" she asked, curious."

"Max," John shrugged. "Apparently he works with the lighting. What did you wanna talk to me about?"

"Nothing," she shrugged, laughing a little. "You just looked like you needed an out."

"Has anyone ever told you you're an amazing human being?" he smirked, relieved to have gotten away from Max and his game of 20 questions.

"I've heard it once or twice," she smiled, taking his hand again and leading him around a corner and up a staircase.

"Where we goin'?"

"If we go out this way, we can go around the building to where everyone else is without having to pass your new BFF."

"I love you," he laughed as they reached the door.

She turned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I mean, you know, for the save," John said. "Not-"

"I know," she laughed, pushing the door open. "Come on."

---------------------

"Is it my imagination or did I actually see you and Raquel talking?" Matt asked.

Jeff shrugged, "So we were talking..what's the big deal?"

"I just cant remember the last time I saw you talking without trying to kill each other," Matt laughed.

"We were just talking about the whole elevator thing," Jeff shrugged. "She still has my shirt, I was asking if I could get it when we go back to the hotel."

"She has your shirt?" Matt smirked.

"The floor was dirty so I put it down for her," Jeff explained. "And then when we were waiting for maintenance she got cold so she put it on."

"So chivalry isn't dead, huh?"

"Whatever," Jeff said. "It was nothing."

"That seems to be the theme around here today," Trish smiled, walking up to the table. "First Brianna, now you. Denial must be in these days."

"Give him a break Trish," Matt laughed. "I like givin' him a hard time but there's no way Jeff would have a thing for Raquel."

Trish raised a brow, "Oh really?"

She looked over at Jeff. Jeff stood up, "He's right."

Before Trish could say anything else, Jeff walked away.

"See?" Matt looked up at the blonde.

Trish crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't buy it."

---------------------

"Look at this one," Brianna giggled, holding her phone so John could see it. She was showing him pictures of Maya and Z.

"What's that on Z's nose?" John laughed.

"Cake frosting," Bri laughed. "It was Troy's birthday. Let's see what's next.."

She pressed the button to go to the next picture then her eyes went wide and she quickly pulled the phone to her chest so he couldn't see it.

John's curiosity was piqued.

"Now you _know_ I have to see it," he reached for the phone.

"Uh uh," she shook her head. "Not this one."

"Oh come on," John reached again but she held it out of his reach.

"Okay fine," John sighed. Right when she seemed to relax, he poked her in the side. She squeaked and he grabbed the phone before she could recover.

"I almost forgot how ticklish you are," he laughed.

She narrowed her eyes at him and he gave her a triumphant smile before turning his attention to the phone, looking at the picture.

"Wow," was all he could manage to say. It was a picture of her in a black lace bra, dark, smoky makeup surrounding her green eyes. She had one eyebrow arched, gloss covering her pouty lips and her messy brown waves were flowing around her.

"Raquel, Troy, and I were joking around a couple weeks ago," she said, pulling the phone out of his hands. "Raquel has a picture of Troy in the same bra."

John smirked, "Something tells me he doesn't look as good in it."

She closed the phone, smiling up at him, looking a little surprised at his comment.

Once again, John found himself wrestling with the urge to kiss her. She was so close and it would be so easy.

She bit her bottom lip and, again, he got that feeling. The feeling that she wanted the same thing he did.

Before either of them could move though, his phone rang.

_Son of a bitch_

"You should answer it," she said, standing up. "I need to say bye to everybody before I get back into hair and makeup."

John pulled the phone out of his pocket, looking at the display.

_PAULA_

That woman had the worst timing in the world. She was currently the last thing on his mind.

"There's something I need to talk to you about," he said.

His phone stopped ringing and he was about to place it back in his pocket when it started ringing again.

Brianna took the phone out of his hand, looking to see who it was. She sighed, handing it back to him, "It's Paula..You should probably pick up."

He took the phone but before he could say anything, she turned, walking away.

---------------------

Brianna took a deep breath, rubbing her forehead as she walked. She almost kissed him. Again. What was her problem? It seemed like the only time she remembered she was engaged was when John wasn't around. Why did he have to be so good looking? And what was she going to do when she had to be around him more often?

She turned to look at him again. He was standing now, talking to Paula. It was hard not to smile when she looked at him. There was just something about him, she couldn't explain it. She had felt that way since the day she met him and she probably always would. Even if she didn't want to admit it, he was important to her. He was her first…everything. Her first crush. Her first kiss. The first boy to make her feel like the luckiest girl in the world. The first boy to make her cry herself to sleep. In the years that they knew each other John had made her feel the highest highs and the lowest lows and she wouldn't give up a single one of them. But she had to keep in mind that they weren't the people they were before. They weren't two teenagers in love, convinced that all they needed was each other. They were adults with careers and families and significant others. It irritated Brianna to no end that Paula was in his life but she was…and Nick was in hers. Nick and Maya. She had a responsibility to them and he did to Paula. Brianna was a big believer in fate, she always had been, and briefly, she'd allowed herself to think that fate brought she and John together again because they were meant to be together. But that couldn't be it. Not with all the other factors that came into play. She realized now that they didn't come into each others lives again to ride off into the sunset. It was time for them to be friends again. _Just friends_.

---------------------


	22. Chapter 22

**So yeah...I was in a writing mood. I'm getting ready to go to work but I thought I'd get this posted before I leave. Read, Enjoy, & Review!**

**Chapter 22...**

_Saturday…_

Brianna opened the door to the penthouse, dropping her gym bag and leaning against the wall. She was dead tired but she knew she wasn't getting sleep anytime soon. She'd barely gotten any since she got home Wednesday night. She got home around 1 in the morning and had to be up at 5 to be at the studio by 6 to work with her contestants. The results shows for So You Think You Can Dance were taped on Wednesdays. That same night, the dancers picked their dances for the next week. Then, Thursday morning they started rehearsing. That week, Brianna had three couples routines to do _and_ a group routine for the next weeks' results show. Starting Thursday, Brianna worked with Rob and her couples from 6 to noon, and then she worked on the group routine with all 10 dancers until 2, then Brianna left and Rob stayed with them for another hour. Normally Bri would be there every minute that they were there to make sure they knew they were getting her full attention but, quite frankly, she had more important places to be. She spent the rest of her days spending as much time as she could with Maya before she left on Monday.

"Brianna!"

She smiled when she heard Maya racing down the stairs. She felt her yearning for sleep slip away when she saw her.

"You're back!" Maya ran toward her.

"Hey kiddo!" Bri picked her up. "What have you been doing all day?"

"I _was_ watching movies with Aunt Gia but then she got on the phone with her new _boyfriend._"

"Oh really?" Brianna smirked as she carried her into the living room.

Gia put her hand over the phone, "He is not my boyfriend."

"We know," Brianna insisted.

Then, when Gia turned back around Brianna mouthed to Mia '_Yes he is_.'

Maya nodded in agreement.

It seemed like Gia talked to Brian for at least a half hour every day. Brianna was just happy she liked someone and didn't have her head buried in a book 24 hours a day. Gia's education was important but it was important for her to have a little fun too. Bri mussed Gia's hair a little, dodging a slap on the hand from her sister before turning and moving toward the kitchen. Once there, she sat Maya on a barstool and walked over to the refrigerator for a bottle of water.

"What are we gonna do today?" Maya asked.

"That's a good question," Brianna took a sip of her water. "I am in the mood for some cookies, or maybe a cake…or maybe both. What do you think?"

"Both!" Maya smiled excitedly.

"You wanna help me make them?"

Maya nodded.

"Well good because I don't know what I'd do without the best assistant baker in the whole world," Brianna smiled. "I'm gonna go change and then we'll get started, okay?"

Maya nodded, "I'll get the aprons."

---------------------

Raquel was on her way out to her rental car when she heard her phone ringing in her purse. She was late for lunch with Randy and Andrew and if she knew Randy, it was him calling. Randy was late for almost everything too but he got incredibly irritated when anyone kept him waiting. Sometimes Raquel wondered why they were friends.

She opened the phone without looking at it, "I'm on my way Randy. Traffic is a bitch. I've been stuck in the same spot for like 15 minutes."

"Well I don't know who Randy is but something tells me you're lying."

Raquel stopped when she heard the female voice. She hadn't heard it in a while but she knew exactly who she was talking to.

"Sabrina Reid," she sighed. "Hopped off the surgeon's table long enough to call, how sweet."

"Yeah well, I can afford to make my surgeon wait," Sabrina laughed. "I paid for his new Mercedes."

Raquel rolled her eyes, getting into her car, "What can I do for you Sabrina?"

"I heard from a friend of a friend that you're in New York and didn't call me," Sabrina said. "My feelings were hurt."

"Could anybody tell after all the botox?" Raquel smirked.

"Only the ones who really know me," Sabrina answered.

"I was going to call you tomorrow," Raquel explained. "I figured we'd do lunch."

"Sounds great," Sabrina said. "I'm going to get my hair done tomorrow, you should come with, I'm sure my stylist can touch up your roots."

"Well if he can do yours he can work miracles," Raquel smiled.

"It's so good talking to you again," Sabrina said. "I've gotta go, my boyfriend is waiting for me. What hotel are you staying at? I'll come get you in the morning."

---------------------

Paula walked into John's apartment, dropping her bags on the floor. John followed behind her, closing the door and taking off his hat, tossing it aside.

"Honey, you should pick that up," Paula said.

"If I wanted it somewhere else, I would've put it somewhere else," John sighed, running a hand over his hair. He walked over to the couch, plopping down and turning the TV on.

Paula crossed her arms, frustrated. He had been cranky with her for days. He hadn't even spoken to her on the flight from New York to LA the night before. The whole time he was either sleeping or reading some stupid football magazine.

"What is your problem?" she walked into the living room.

"What?" he looked over his shoulder at her.

"You have been pissy for days now," she said. "You were on the phone with your brothers the whole time we were shopping."

"They're my brothers Paula," John said. "I hadn't talked to them in a while."

"So you had to talk to them when you were out with me?" she asked.

"I hate shopping," John said. "Be glad I even came with you."

"You might as well have just stayed home!" she yelled.

John stood up, "You don't mean that Paula..If I hadn't gone, who would've paid for all your shit?"

Paula couldn't believe the way he was talking to her. She was about to tell him she didn't appreciate it when he rolled his eyes, walking away from her. He picked up the hat he'd tossed on the floor and put it back on, "I'll see you later."

"_Where_ are you going?" she asked.

He didn't bother to answer her question. He simply pushed her shopping bags out of his way and walked out the door.

---------------------

Nick walked into the apartment and immediately heard the sound of giggling coming from the kitchen. He went upstairs and locked his gun away. He'd already changed his clothes at the station. He was tired and lately his nerves were pretty shot so the sound of the laughter was grating at him. He walked down the stairs, seeing Brianna, Gia, and Maya in the kitchen, all of them in pink aprons. They were covered in flower, sugar and frosting in a few different colors. They were currently covering a three layer cake in pink frosting on the center island. Behind them on the marble counters, there were a few baking sheets full of colorfully decorated cookies. There was also a pan of brownies. Brianna was standing, Gia was sitting on a stool and Maya was sitting on the island.

He cleared his throat and they all looked toward him.

"Hey Nick," Gia waved her spatula.

"Maya, get down from there," Nick said, his tone firm.

"But Brianna said-"

"_I_ said get down," he said.

Brianna and Maya both looked surprised by him. Gia helped Maya off of the island, gently setting her down on her feet.

Brianna began to look tense, "Gia, why don't you take Maya upstairs?"

"Come on kid," Gia took the young girl's hand. "Let's go wash up."

Maya looked tentative but she followed Gia out of the room.

Once they could hear two sets of feet going up the stairs, Brianna shook her head, "What is going on here?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I'm talking about _you_ acting like nothing I say matters anymore," she said, trying not to raise her voice. "The past few weeks it seems like you get off on contradicting everything I tell Maya. If I say she _can_ do something, you tell her she cant. If I tell her I'll take her somewhere, you say it's not okay..What the hell is with you?"

"Watch how you talk to me," Nick pointed.

"No you watch how you talk to me," she pointed back at him. "You have said yourself that Maya has never been as happy as she's been since we started seeing each other. You wanted me to adopt her once we get married and now what? Now I have no say even though I'm the one who takes care of her."

"I take care of my daughter!" Nick yelled.

"Who takes her to the doctor? Who gets her up and dressed and makes sure she takes her medicine in the morning? Who takes her to school and helps her with her reading?" she asked angrily. "I'll give you a hint Nick..it's not you."

Nick glared at her. She made him so angry he wanted to throw something.

"Maya understands that I have to work," he glared.

"What about when you're not working?" she asked. "Sure you spend a little time with her but _I_ am the one who devotes myself to her and she's not even my daughter!"

"You're right, she's not your daughter!" he yelled.

"No she's not," Brianna agreed. "But I love her like she is..And I take care of her."

Tears sprang to her eyes and her voice grew shaky, "I just don't understand why you're acting like this all of a sudden. Like nothing I do matters just because I'm not the one who gave birth to her. I used to think you gave a damn about what I do around here but now I'm not so sure."

Nick didn't speak. There was a time when the sight of her crying rocked him to the core but he didn't feel it the way he used to. He still loved her, he still wanted to marry her but he never used to get this angry with her. And if he ever did, he at least used to feel bad for it.

"Say something!" she pleaded with him. "At least tell me _why_ you're acting this way. What is it that you're punishing me for?"

"For what I think you're gonna do," Nick answered angrily.

She stared at him, confused, "_What_?"

"You tell me you love me," Nick said. "You keep reminding me that we're engaged and we're gonna be together but it seems like John has seen you more than I have. Seems to me like he means more to you than I do."

She shook her head, running her hands through her hair and clenching them there, her eyes squeezed shut. Tears escaped from under her lids.

---------------------

Brianna tried to take a deep breath but she was shaking like a leaf. Nick was never going to let this go, he was never going to stop bringing John up. She was sick of this same stupid fight.

"What do you want me to do Nick?" she let go of her hair, looking at him. "What is it gonna take? What do I have to do to get you to stop being so _damn_ paranoid?"

"You wanna know what I want?" he asked. "It's actually about _me_ for once?"

Her jaw clenched. She had a thousand responses to that and each and every one of them was harsh and insulting. But she held them back. She was trying to _stop_ the fight, not start another one.

"You can start planning our wedding," Nick said. "Show me that you actually plan to be with _me_ and not _him_."

Brianna could tell she had probably just gone pale, "You want me to what?"

---------------------


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry for the snail's pace with the update..My job is slowly taking over my entire life, the boyfriend cant quit the bitching, and its like an ex boyfriend parade around here, they're popping up all over the place. Can you say _tension_? But anyway, Hope ya like the chapter, there should be an update soon, I've got the next part all planned out. Read, Enjoy, and Review!**

**Chapter 23...**

_Sunday_

Raquel walked out of the hotel lobby, dropping her compact in her purse and pulling the bag up onto her shoulder. She didn't need to look around for Sabrina. She was directly in front of the doors, leaning against a red Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder with the top down that was undoubtedly purchased for her by her newest sucker. She wore a very short, strapless white dress that looked so tight she probably couldn't breathe and her blonde waves were pushed back by a pair of sunglasses. Raquel frowned, trying to remember what Sabrina looked like the first time she met her. She'd been a brunette, that much Raquel knew. In the years she knew her Sabrina's hair had gone from brown to red to black to blonde back to brown, and she wasn't counting the different shades she tried of each. Her lips were noticeably larger than the last time she saw her and her breasts were at least a cup size bigger. At 27, she'd had more work done than most people ever would. She'd been through two noses, four seats of breasts, cheek implants, she had liposuction twice and various other less invasive procedures like Botox and Restalyne. Raquel didn't have anything against plastic surgery, if she'd needed it, she would have gotten it too but she believed that there was a point where one really needed to stop.

Sabrina spotted her and smiled, rushing over. Raquel took a deep breath and braced herself.

"Hello darling," Sabrina smiled, pulling away, her hands still on Raquel's arms as she looked her up and down, "Have you gained weight?"

Raquel smiled, "I've actually lost some..maybe your new cheeks are leaking into your eyes and making it hard to see."

"Oh how I've missed your wit," Sabrina beamed, walking around to the driver's side of the car. "Get in, I figure we'll put the top up after we get our hair done."

"So," Raquel opened her door and got in. "Who'd you have to sleep with to get the car?"

"Alan Truman," Sabrina smiled, starting the Lamborghini. "I didn't mention that my new boyfriend owns _seven_ luxury car dealerships _nationwide_?"

"No, you didn't," Raquel sighed.

"This was my birthday present," Sabrina smiled. "What did your man get you?"

Raquel rolled her eyes, knowing there was no point in lying. Knowing Sabrina she had already talked to the few mutual friends they had and found out the answer to that question.

"I didn't have one on my birthday," she said.

"That's a shame," Sabrina shook her head. "What about now?"

"I'm not seeing anyone right now," Raquel answered.

"When was the last time you were?"

"I don't really like relationships," Raquel shrugged, trying not to be snippy, that was what Sabrina was fishing for. "I'm not good at commitment."

"You know, I read in Cosmo that that's what women say when they can't get a man," Sabrina said. "Not saying that I think _you_ would do that. I'm just telling you what I read."

Raquel rolled her eyes, not bothering to respond. She just looked out the window. This was going to be an interesting day.

---------------------

"I just don't know what to do doctor," Brianna said, lying on the couch in the therapist's office. "I've been so confused. Everything was fine with Nick before John came along and now…Now I just don't know."

She looked over at the desk where the therapist sat. To her surprise, she saw her sister Raquel leaning back in the chair, her feet up on the desk, hands folded in her lap. She was wearing a white dress shirt under a bulky brown sweater, black trousers, loafers, and black rimmed glasses, a pipe in her hand, "Come on now Brianna, you're making this much harder than it needs to be…John's more attractive, he's got a better personality, he makes more money…stop me when I get to something negative."

"But it's not that easy doctor," Bri shook her head. "I've been with Nick for a while. I love him."

"Yes you do."

She looked up again when she heard a male voice. Raquel was gone and Nick was in her place, sitting in the same chair, in the exact same outfit. He was sitting up straight, his hands crossed on the desk, "And you should be with Nick. He's what's best for you. And if you lose Nick..You lose Maya..Do you really want that to happen?"

"Of course I don't want that to happen," Brianna shook her head. "But I cant ignore what I feel for John. And there's so much history between us."

"That's true."

She frowned, hearing a completely unfamiliar, high pitched voice. She looked over at the desk again, sitting straight up when she spotted Louie, her pale blue childhood teddy bear sitting in the chair, once again in the same outfit. Louie took off his glasses, cleaned them on his sweater and then put them back on, "John was a big part of your life for years. But the past isn't everything."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean that it seems to me that you're falling for John all over again…Like if you two had never known each other and just happened to meet a few months ago, you would still have this conflict…That should tell you something?"

Brianna put her head in her hands, taking a deep breath. This wasn't helping. She was getting so frustrated she could feel tears in her eyes, "It should tell me what?"

She felt hands on her knees and she moved her hands out of her face, surprised to see John kneeling in front of her, thankfully he was dressed in his normal clothes.

"It should tell you that I'm the one you really wanna be with," he said, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"But-"

"But nothing," he stood, taking her hand and pulling her up with him. "I want to be with you, and you want to be with me. There's nothing to be confused about."

Brianna looked up at him and he smiled, "I love you."

"I love you too."

He leaned down and just when she thought he was about to kiss her, he grabbed her shoulders and starting shaking her back and forth.

Brianna's eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly, looking around the guest bedroom.

Maya jumped away from the bed, looking guilty, "I'm sorry. You told me to wake you up when it was time to make lunch."

"It's okay sweetheart," Brianna laughed as she looked over in the corner of the room and saw Louie sitting on a stool. "I was just having a _really_ weird dream."

"About what?"

Bri shook her head, "Nothing…Let's go make lunch."

---------------------

John pulled his keys out of his pocket as he walked down the hall toward his apartment. He spent the night at a hotel, knowing that if he went back, he would just argue with Paula. Hopefully now she was out shopping or something. He stopped walking when a strange scent hit his nostrils. It smelled like burnt bacon. And it was coming from his apartment.

"_Shit_," he rushed to the door, opening it quickly. Paula was in the kitchen, using the Patriots oven mitts his dad bought him to fan a smoking pan. The entire kitchen was a mess.

"Paula, what the hell are you doing?" he asked, dropping his keys.

"I was trying to make you breakfast," she glared, dropping the mitts.

"You cant cook," he reminded her, turning on the ventilation fan above the stove. "And it's lunchtime."

"I was trying to do something nice for you," she said angrily.

"By burning my house down?" he asked.

"You don't appreciate anything I do for you," she glared.

"Paula, I honestly think this is the first thing you've ever _tried_ to do for me," he almost laughed. She was acting like she showered him with gifts or something.

"That's beside the point," she said. "If I were Brianna you would probably think it was _cute_ that I cant cook."

"She's a great cook," John smirked. "Maybe you should have called her before you tried this."

"Are you _trying_ to be an asshole?" she fumed.

John shrugged, "Not really. Maybe it's the _smoke_."

"Why are you being so mean to me?" she asked.

"I'm not being mean to you," John said.

"Yes you are," she said. "You don't appreciate me."

"_I_ don't appreciate _you_?" he asked. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am," she nodded.

"What the hell do you do that I don't appreciate?" he asked, losing his temper. "Seriously Paula.._what_ do you do for me?"

She didn't say anything.

"Remember when I got food poisoning a few months ago?" he asked. "What did you do?"

"That wasn't food poisoning," she argued. "You just had a bad stomach ache."

"I was throwing up for a week, I couldn't even sleep and I had a fever," he said.

She was quiet.

"But when you needed money, your greedy ass was right in my face, asking where my wallet was," John said.

"Don't talk to me like that," she said.

"You know, I hate to agree with Randy," John laughed. "But sometimes a woman really can make a man look like a complete idiot if he's not careful."

"What are you saying?" she asked, annoyed.

"I'm saying that I'm done being an idiot," John shrugged. "I'm done with you."

"_Excuse me_?" Paula stared.

"You heard me," John said. "Now I'm going to take a shower, don't bother cleaning up the kitchen, I'll get it after you leave."

---------------------

"I would say, we did a very good job," Brianna said as she and Maya sat on stools at the kitchen island, eating their sandwiches.

"I want another one," Maya smiled.

"You haven't even finished that one," Brianna laughed as Maya picked up the second half of her sandwich.

"But I know I'm still gonna be hungry," Maya laughed.

"Whatever," Brianna laughed, getting up and mussing the young girl's hair before walking over to get them some napkins. "We'll see."

She turned around to hand Maya's hers, stopping when Nick came into the kitchen. As usual, he looked like he was in a bad mood.

"Maya, you really need to finish packing," Nick said. "You need to have everything ready early tomorrow morning."

"Okay daddy," Maya said softly.

Brianna looked down at her, seeing that the mention of her leaving brought tears to her eyes.

"Come on munchkin," Bri lifted her off of the stool, setting her down on the floor, her bunny slippers making a squeaking noise. "Let's go upstairs and see how much you have left to do."

"Okay," Maya said, walking ahead of her.

Brianna followed and Nick tried to grab her arm but she stepped out of the way, not in the mood to deal with his bitching and ultimatums.

"Brianna," he called after her.

"Not now!"

---------------------

"I told you he was the best," Sabrina said as they walked back to the car.

Raquel had to admit, though she loved her own stylist, Sabrina's stylist Andre had made her hair looking amazing.

"He's alright," she shrugged. "Where are we going now?"

"I was thinking we'd go shopping," Sabrina suggested. "Alan added me as an authorized user on all of his cards so we've got plenty of money to burn."

Raquel smiled, she wouldn't let her close friends buy her things because she cared too much to use them, but Sabrina was a different story.

"You know, I should call Alan and ask if he's got any friends that would be good for you," Sabrina said.

"How old is Alan again?" Raquel frowned.

"56," Sabrina said.

"I think I'll pass," Raquel laughed.

"Oh come on," Sabrina said. "I'm sure he knows someone who likes short girls."

---------------------

Brianna looked over as Maya came out of her walk in closet, one of her favorite dresses draped over her arm. The day started off on a good note but Maya had seemed a little sullen and withdrawn since Nick brought up her trip.

"Come here kid," Brianna sat on the bed, patting the spot next to her. Maya put her dress down on the foot of the bed, climbing up to sit next to her. Maya leaned on her and Bri put her arm around her.

"You're not too excited to go to Grandma Helen, huh?"

Maya shook her head, "Why do I have to go?"

"Because she's your family too," Brianna tried to sound convincing. "And she wants to see you."

"But I wanna stay here."

"I know," Bri sighed. "But you wont be gone too long."

Maya sighed, "I know."

Brianna hugged her tightly, "You know I love you a _whole_ lot, right?"

Maya nodded, "I love you too."

"And I am gonna miss you like crazy," Bri said. "And _whenever_ I get the chance, I'm gonna come see you."

"You promise?" Maya looked up at her.

"I promise," Bri brushed her hair off of her forehead. "And you know that _whenever_ you need me, no matter when it is, even if it's in the middle of the night or _really, really_ early in the morning, you can call me, right?"

"Right," Maya nodded.

"And if it gets bad there and you don't wanna be there anymore," Brianna said. "You call me and no matter where I am…I'll come get you, okay?"

"Okay," Maya nodded, looking a little relieved.

"Now," Brianna got up and offered Maya her hand, helping her off the bed. "I _think_ we're almost done."

Bri knelt beside the bed, smiling, "But wait…what's this under here?"

Brianna pulled out a new, colorful Dooney & Bourke rolling trunk. She knew Nick would be aggravated that she spent 300 dollars on a suitcase for a six year old but frankly she didn't care. And it wasn't the most expensive one she looked at, it just happened to be the one she thought Maya would like the most.

Maya smiled excitedly, "When did you put that there?"

"While you were sleeping this morning," Brianna laughed as Maya hugged tightly. "You know, you sleep like a log sometimes kid."

"Thank you _so_ much," Maya gushed.

"You're welcome," Bri put the trunk up on the bed, opening it. "Wow, that's a lot of space, huh?"

Maya nodded.

"How are we gonna fill it?" Bri raised an eyebrow.

Maya shrugged, "I don't know."

"Well," Bri sighed. "I guess we're just gonna have to go shopping and buy whatever we can to fill this thing up."

"Really?" Maya lit up. If there was one thing Maya seemed to get from her, it was a love of shopping.

"That's right," Bri nodded. "You better get dressed."

Maya smiled excitedly, rushing toward her closet. She stopped before she got to the door, turning, "Brianna?"

"What's up?"

"Can John come with us?"

Bri was a little surprised. She knew how much Maya liked John but she hadn't really brought him up since she got back from Miami.

"I don't think he's back in town yet," she said.

"Yeah he is," Maya informed her. "I heard him on the answering machine when you were working this morning."

"Oh," Brianna said. "Well, you get dressed and I'll see what I can do."

"Okay."

Brianna left the room and walked down the stairs. The only time the answering ever picked up was when Z was up on the table and walked over the phone, turning it on.

"Crazy dog," she laughed, as she reached the bottom of the stairs and he jumped around her feet. She picked him up, walking over to the machine. Sure enough, the light was flashing. She pressed the button the play the message.

"Hey Bri, it's John..I guess I was just calling to say I'm back home for the weekend and I wanted to see what you were up to since I hadn't talked to you in a few days..Um..just call me back when you get a chance. Bye."

She picked up the phone, dialing his number.

"Hello?" he answered after a few rings, sounding a little groggy.

---------------------

John held the phone to his ear, eyes still closed. Paula was gone when he got out of the shower, though most of her things were still there. He cleaned up the kitchen and then practically passed out. He barely slept the night before. Whoever was calling him better have a good reason.

"John?"

"Hey," he slowly sat up when he heard Brianna's voice. He figured Nick would erase his message before she got it.

"Did I wake you up?" she asked.

"A little," he, leaning against the headboard. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she said, sounding like she felt guilty. "You wanna go back to sleep?"

"No," he said. "I just fell asleep a few minutes ago, it's not a big deal."

"You sure?" she asked. "I feel bad now."

"Brianna, if I didn't wanna talk to you, I wouldn't have answered the phone," he laughed. Of course he didn't know it was her when he picked up but he wasn't lying. He definitely would have answered for her.

"Okay," she laughed. "So I have something kind of random to ask you."

"What's that?" he waited.

"Well, you know Maya's leaving tomorrow," she said. "And I've been doing something with her every day and today I'm taking her shopping."

"Mmhmm," he nodded.

"And I _know_ you hate shopping and you probably wouldn't wanna go," she said. "And you probably totally get mobbed in public places like that anyway but-"

"I'd love to go," he smiled, cutting her off. If allowed, Brianna would talk in circles for hours.

"You would?" she sounded surprised.

"I would," he said. "You two ready yet?"

"Not yet," she said. "Give us a little bit."

"Okay," he said. "I'll pick you up in an hour."

"Great," she said. "I'll see you then."

---------------------

Maria stepped off of the elevator but was tempted to jump back on when she saw Victor. He was on his phone hopefully he didn't notice her. If she could just slip past him..

"Maria!"

_Damn!_

"_Hi_ Victor," she turned around, smiling. "How are you?"

"Good," he nodded. "How are you?"

"Not bad," she said, praying someone came along to save her soon.

"I was wondering, is there something wrong with Raquel's phone?" he asked.

Maria almost said no but she caught herself, "You know..I think there is..I haven't seen her on it in _days_. I'm pretty sure she's buying a new one."

"Ah," he nodded. "Do you know where she is now?"

"No," Maria lied, shaking her head. "You should ask Trish, Trish always knows."

"I'll try that," Victor nodded. "I wont keep you any longer, thanks for the tip."

"_No_ problem," Maria waved, turning and quickly walking away. Trish was probably gonna kill her but that was the only thing she could think of to get Victor off her back. She pulled her phone out of her purse, quickly dialing Raquel's number.

"Hello?"

"Remember the other day when we were out with Randy and you said that you were gonna let Victor down easy?" Maria asked.

"Yeah," Raquel waited.

"Well when were you planning on doing that?" Maria asked. "Because he's looking for you and you know I'm not a very good liar."

"I'll do it soon," Raquel said. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Maybe?"

"I'll do it tomorrow," Raquel promised.

"Thank you," Maria said. "So how's the day with Sabrina going?"

"Absolutely dreadful," Raquel said.

"Sounds like a dream," Maria laughed. "Let me know if you need me to save you."

"I will."

"Bye."

Maria ended the call with Raquel and then dialed Trish's number.

---------------------

"So are you ever gonna tell me what you and Raquel were talking about the other day?" Matt asked.

"When?" Jeff asked, starting the car.

"When we were in Miami at the video set," Matt explained. "When I came up, you two looked..I don't know, not like you and Raquel."

"What do you mean?" Jeff asked. He couldn't understand why his brother was so nosy sometimes. And he didn't forget anything. Something tiny could happen and he would bring it up a month later and ask a thousand questions.

"I mean it looked kinda like you were flirting," Matt said.

"We weren't," Jeff said quickly.

"Getting awfully defensive," Matt smirked.

"I'm not defensive, I just know we weren't flirting," Jeff said.

"Then what were you talking about?"

"Why is it important?" Jeff asked. "Jesus Matt, sometimes you act like a 14 year old girl."

"Sorry man," Matt put his hands up. "Wont bring it up again."

"Thank you."

---------------------

"That was fun," Brianna smiled as she and John walked away from the crowd of people. It was a mix of fans of her show and WWE fans but they all seemed to be willing to take an autograph from either of them.

"I need a bodyguard when I'm out with you," he smirked.

"Oh whatever, most of them were there for you," she laughed. "And you _are_ a body guard."

"And a bag carrier," Maya laughed. Brianna was holding two bags and a smoothie and Maya had a smoothie and a small pink bag, Gia, who had just gotten off the phone, had two bags. John was loaded down with more bags than he could count and only one of them contained something he bought, a pair of gym shoes.

"Yeah, how did I get this job?" he laughed.

"I don't know but you're just so good at it," she laughed, pinching his cheek.

"Oh now you wanna suck up."

"Just a little," Brianna laughed.

"Can we get some ice cream?" Maya asked.

"Not until you eat some actual food first," Bri said. "Maybe we should take the bags out to the car and go eat."

"Okay," Maya smiled.

Brianna looked up at John, "Is that okay with you?"

"Put down all these bags _and_ eat? John smiled. "Did you even have to ask?"

"We'll take 'em," Gia offered, grabbing most of the bags from John's hands. Maya grabbed the last two.

"You sure?" John asked.

"We're sure," Gia smiled. "Come on Maya."

"Okay," Maya said, following Gia.

Brianna turned to John as they walked away, "Thanks again for coming with us."

"You're welcome," John said, not quite looking at her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to figure out what he was staring at.

"I think those kids over there are taking pictures of us," John laughed.

She looked in the direction he nodded and saw four teenagers, all holding their cell phones up in their direction.

"They're probably cutting me out and just taking pictures of you," she smiled.

"I don't know, you look too good for them to cut you out," he smirked.

Brianna smiled. He'd been making comments like that all day. She didn't mind his flirting, it was a nice change from getting angry looks from Nick.

"How much money have you spent today?" John laughed, looking down at his red hands.

"You know I never keep track," she laughed.

"I can see you're rubbing off on Maya," John laughed. "I've never seen a six year old that knows their designers like that."

"I teach what I know," Bri shrugged.

"So you're teaching her to be a shopaholic?"

"Basically," Brianna nodded.

"So you're starting on the road tomorrow, right?" he asked.

She nodded, "We're doing auditions for a few days. I put in some calls to some people I know and I talked to Shane and he put an open call announcement on so hopefully there's a good turnout."

"I'm sure there will be," John said. "You think we should go find a place to eat and just have them meet us there?"

"That works," she shrugged.

"Come on," John said, taking her hands. "I think I know of a good place, it's down this way."

---------------------

"How's this?" The hostess looked back at Raquel and Sabrina as she stopped at a table. Sabrina looked up, more than likely checking out the lighting.

"It's fine, thank you," Raquel answered. The young woman put their menus down on the table and they took their seats.

"Your server will be with you in…"

The young blonde trailed off, her eyes focused on Sabrina's hand.

"_Wow_," she finally spoke.

"Are you okay?" Raquel asked, a little annoyed.

"I'm sorry for staring I just..that ring is _gorgeous_," the hostess gushed. "Is it real?"

Sabrina smiled, looking down at the large diamond, "It is…Alan bought it for me on a whim."

"Wow, I want a husband like that," the hostess laughed.

"Oh he's not my husband yet," Sabrina smiled. "I cant blame you for wanting one of your own. Most women do. Don't you think so Raquel?"

"Of course," Raquel pasted on a smile, taking a sip of her water.

Sabrina smiled down at her hand, "If this is his idea of a random gift, I cant wait to see the rock when he proposes."

_If he can stand you long enough to propose_

"Well when he does, come back in and show me," the hostess laughed before walking away.

"I liked her," Sabrina smiled.

"You like anyone who envies you," Raquel looked down into her purse, trying to find her cell phone. She'd thought she heard her voicemail alert a few seconds before.

"This is true," Sabrina laughed.

"You know I really cant wait for Alan to propose," Sabrina said. "I mean, he's not exactly a dream boat but he makes up for it in other areas."

"Like his wallet?" Raquel suggested, finally locating her phone.

"Exactly."

Raquel rolled her eyes. She wanted a rich man just as much as the next girl but Sabrina made it seem so.._obnoxious_.

"But if Alan looked like _that_..my life would be absolutely perfect."

Raquel looked up to see what the other woman was talking about and she was quite surprised by what she saw. Sabrina was looking over her shoulder toward the entrance, her eyes fixed on none other than Jeff Hardy.

---------------------

Jeff followed the hostess as she led him and Matt into the restaurant. It was a nice place, almost everything in it was stark white and he guessed the portions were tiny and an appetizer cost more than his shirt. He hated places like this. He liked to be comfortable when he ate, he didn't want to be worrying about spilling something. He looked over at his brother, slowing his pace so the hostess wouldn't hear, "Why did we have to come here?"

"Because Adam told me the food here is great," Matt explained. "I'll pay if you can go the whole meal without bitching."

"I cant promise you that," Jeff laughed.

"Hey," Matt stopped, staring at something. "Look who's here?"

Jeff followed his gaze, spotting Raquel sitting with some blonde. Running into Raquel wasn't exactly expected but the real surprise was the look on her face when she saw him. If Jeff didn't know any better he would say that she actually looked..happy to see him.

"Dude," Jeff looked over at Matt, confused. "Why is she looking at me like that?"

Matt laughed, "I think that's called smiling..and it's not necessarily directed at you."

Jeff didn't want to argue but he was _pretty_ sure Raquel was looking at him. She put down her cell phone, waving them over.

"Come on," Matt said, ignoring the confused hostess standing next to an empty table.

"Do we have to?" Jeff asked.

"Why don't you want to?"

"Because she scares me when she looks like that," Jeff said. "It's like the calm before the storm. If I sit next to her I'll probably end up with a fork in my leg."

"Just come on," Matt laughed, pushing his brother ahead of him.

Raquel stood as they approached. Matt gave her a quick hug and then, just to further his confusion, Raquel smiled at him and stood on her toes, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

_Isn't it a little early to be drunk? She's gotta be drunk or something..right?_

"Gentlemen, this is Sabrina Reid," Raquel introduced, her hand on Jeff's arm.

Jeff gave her a nod then focused his attention on her hand. She wasn't trying to dig her nails into him or anything..this wasn't the Raquel he was used to.

"Sabrina, this is Matt Hardy and _this _is Jeff Hardy."

"Nice to meet you," the blonde smiled, standing up and shaking Matt's hand. Jeff's focus was on Raquel's hand on his wrist. He couldn't say he had a problem with her touching him he just couldn't understand it. She _had_ to be up to something. She was buttering him up. For what, he didn't know, but that was the only explanation.

"Jeff," she squeezed his wrist gently.

"Hm?" he looked into her eyes, trying to figure her out.

"I think Sabrina's waiting," she nodded toward her friend.

Jeff turned, feeling sheepish when he saw Sabrina's outstretched hand. He shook her hand lightly, "Nice to meet you."

"Why don't you two join us?" Sabrina suggested. "We've got room."

Jeff looked over at Raquel. She smiled up at him encouragingly. Then, he looked over at Matt, who was already taking a seat.

He shrugged, "Why not?"

---------------------


	24. Chapter 24

**Guess what today is folks...It's my birthday! and I have to work all day after a night of debaucherous partying...isn't that just lovely? It's just before 4 AM, and I just got home and figured I'd post this since I meant to do it before I left..So, you know what I want for my b-day don't ya? Reviews! Hope ya like the chapter, I'm quite fond of it myself...Read, Enjoy, oh you know the rest, I gotta go to bed, hopefully i wont be a total zombie at the job...**

**Chapter 24...**

Jeff tried not to stare at Raquel as she laughed when he finished telling the story of how he pantsed Matt in front of his first girlfriend after they all got out of a cold pool.

"Yeah, that's real funny," Matt glared. "She dumped me like a week later."

"That's not my fault," Jeff shrugged.

"You're not still bitter, are you Matt?" Raquel smirked.

Matt rolled his eyes, turning his attention to his food.

"You know, she asked me out a few weeks after that," Jeff told Raquel and Sabrina.

"What?" Matt looked up.

"I didn't tell you that?" Jeff asked, surprised. He was sure he told Matt years ago.

"No," Matt shook his head.

"Don't be mad at your brother," Sabrina advised Matt. She smiled at Jeff, "It's not his fault he's so good looking. It's just genetics."

Jeff looked away, a little uncomfortable under her gaze. She'd been staring at him since he sat down and it was starting to freak him out a little.

"Listen to her Matt," Raquel smirked. "Since she's so obviously an expert on looks and genetics."

Jeff laughed at Raquel's comment, noting that Sabrina looked a little irritated. Well, as irritated as she could look.

"Well you should know something about good genes Raquel, what with your mother being a famous model and all," Sabrina said. "Granted she was a lot taller and her breasts were bigger but you're still very pretty."

Raquel looked incredibly annoyed but she forced a smile, offering up a snide "Thank you Sabrina."

"Oh you're welcome honey," Sabrina smiled.

Jeff frowned, looking back and forth between the women. He didn't like the self satisfied look on Sabrina's face. _He_ could insult Raquel to her face until the cows came home but he didn't like seeing someone else do it and Sabrina was throwing out bitchy comments like they were going out of style. Raquel was giving them right back but Jeff didn't care about that. Sabrina started it.

"Excuse me."

They all turned when they heard an excited female voice. Jeff nodded at the blonde standing behind him.

"You're Jeff Hardy," she giggled.

"Last time I checked," he nodded. "And you are?"

"Cammie," she smiled, extending her hand.

"Nice to meet you Cammie," Jeff said. "This is Raquel and I'm sure you know my brother Matt."

Jeff heard someone clear their throat loudly and he smiled, "Oh right..and that's Sabrina."

"Hi," she waved at all of them, her attention focused on him. "Can I get your autograph?"

"Sure," Jeff nodded. "What do you want me to sign?"

She tried for a seductive look but her face was so stretched from her smile that it didn't quite work. She played with the bottom of her tank top, "Could you sign this?"

Jeff looked over at Raquel who looked like she was a little annoyed but trying to hide it. Then, he looked to Matt who gave him a nod of encouragement.

"Sure," he shrugged as she handed him a sharpie. She leaned forward, obviously wanting him to sign on or around her breast. For some reason, he was compelled to look at Raquel again. She had her fork in her hand, pushing her food around roughly. He took the cap off the pen, turning back to Cammie and gently taking the bottom of her shirt and pulling it toward him just enough to sign it. He signed his name then handed her the marker back, "There you go."

She seemed disappointed that he hadn't signed where she wanted him to but she smiled nonetheless, "Thanks Jeff."

"You're welcome," he said.

"I guess I'll go now," she started to back away. "Thanks again."

"No problem..See ya later," Jeff said, giving her a quick wave before turning back to the rest of the table.

"What am I? The hunchback of Notre Dame today?" Matt looked around.

Jeff laughed, patting his brother on the shoulder.

"You must have women throwing themselves at you like that all the time," Sabrina noted.

Jeff shrugged, "Not all the time."

"Oh come on now, don't be modest," Sabrina said. "Someone that looks like you must have quite a following."

"I guess your boyfriend doesn't get that kind of attention at his age, does he?" Raquel asked.

"Well I'm sure we'd _all_ love to have a little fun with someone that draws attention like Jeff," Sabrina said, giving Raquel a look. "Even you Raquel."

"Actually, _she_ already has," Jeff blurted.

Everyone at the table stared at him. Raquel looked confused, Matt looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the show and Sabrina just looked surprised.

"What?" Sabrina asked.

"Raquel and I had sex a while back," Jeff said.

Sabrina recovered quickly, her annoying little smirk returning, "A while back? Well why'd you two stop? Did _someone_ lose interest?"

"Raquel did," Jeff answered quickly.

Raquel stared at him. He could see she was trying for a neutral expression to cover her confusion. He gave her a quick wink.

"Why?" Sabrina stared at Raquel.

"Um.." Raquel searched for a response. She looked back to Jeff.

"It's kind of embarrassing," He said, looking down at his food. He took a deep breath then looked back up, offering Sabrina a sheepish smile, "I got a little…clingy."

He looked over at Raquel for confirmation.

She smiled, "He did..He wasn't a stalker or anything but..I think he just got attached faster than I did."

"But we're past that," Jeff said, looking over at her. "We're friends now, right?"

"Yeah," she said, looking surprised by his actions. "I think we are."

---------------------

"I cant believe he did this," Paula paced back and forth, phone pressed tightly to her ear. After John told her to leave, she went to the apartment of an old friend, Michelle. Fortunately, Michelle was on a business trip in Toronto so she just told her where the key was and that she could stay for a few days without any question. She didn't need anyone knowing she may have gotten dumped.

"He'll come around," Candice said. "John's got a temper. Once he calms down and realizes how bad he messed up, he'll call you and beg you to come back. He loves you."

"He _better_," Paula said. "I haven't been laughing at his _completely unfunny _jokes all this time for nothing."

"I have an idea…Maybe you should give him a little surprise tonight," Candice suggested. "Show him what he's missing."

"What do you mean?"

"You've still got your keys to his apartment, right?" Candice asked.

"Yeah," Paula said.

"So use 'em," Candice said. "He's probably out. Slip in while he's gone, put on something hot and wait for him."

Paula's smile stretched from ear to ear, "Candice, has anyone ever told you you're a genius?"

Candice smiled, "What are friends for?"

---------------------

_That night…_

John found his way back to his seat in the dark theater holding two drinks, a box of gummy bears, sour patch kids, nachos, M&Ms and a Snickers bar. He sat down carefully, not wanting to spill anything. He could see Brianna's eyes go wide when she looked over at him, "I thought you were just getting a refill."

"I _was_," he whispered back. "But then I got hungry."

"You just ate a bag of popcorn and a pretzel with extra cheese," she whispered.

"So?" he shrugged.

She smiled, shaking her head.

"Don't worry," he smiled. "I got you something."

She smiled. It never failed, even if it was nothing but candy, Brianna just lit up when he told her he got her something. She always had.

"What'd you get me?"

He handed her one of the drinks, "Root beer."

She frowned, "All that and you got me a _root beer_?"

He picked up the sour patch kids, "Be nice or I wont give you these."

She smiled, "Okay I'll be nice."

"Actions speak louder than words," he whispered, shaking the box at her. She reached for it and he pulled it away from her.

She leaned close to him and for a second, he thought she was going to kiss him. He was almost right. She kissed him…on the cheek. He handed over the candy, and she smiled, "Thank you."

"That was wrong, you know that right?" he asked.

She smiled innocently, "What?"

He shook his head, not bothering to answer. She had been messing with his head all day. He didn't think she was doing it intentionally, she wasn't that mean, but it was confusing. She'd been smiling at him and giggling, touching him. The girl in the ticket booth at the front of the theater thought that they were a couple and Maya was their daughter. He was enjoying the flirting but he knew that at the end of the night, he had to take her back to her fiance. He shook his head, trying to wipe those thoughts from his mind. He didn't want to think about later, he wanted to focus on the moment. He smiled as a sleepy Maya leaned against Brianna, her eyelids drooping. Bri smoothed the young girl's hair, then put her arms around her, looking back up at the movie. John put his arm over the back of her chair and she looked over at him, smiling. Somehow that smile managed to clear his head and confuse him even more, all at the same time.

---------------------

"Well this has been quite a day," Sabrina said.

Jeff nodded, looking around the lobby. He was standing with Raquel and Sabrina near the door. Matt had rushed up to his room the second they got back because the food he ate at the restaurant wasn't agreeing with him.

"It was great seeing you hun," Sabrina said, hugging Raquel.

"You too," Raquel rolled her eyes before releasing the hug.

"We have to do it next time you're in town," Sabrina smiled.

Raquel nodded, "Of course."

Jeff felt uncomfortable watching this exchange. He didn't understand why Raquel subjected herself to being around this woman. He'd known her for a day and knew he didn't want to be around her again.

"Come on Jeff, you get a hug too," Sabrina smiled, moving toward him.

Before she could get to him though, Raquel took his hand, lacing their fingers together. Once again, Jeff found himself staring at her hand, completely losing focus on the conversation.

"We should really go check on Matt," Raquel said.

"Of course," Sabrina said, taking her car keys out of her purse. "Tell Mark I hope he feels better."

"_Matt_," Jeff corrected.

"Right," Sabrina nodded. "I'll see you two soon," she waved before walking away. Jeff turned, walking toward the elevators and Raquel followed.

"So, what is this about?" he asked as they reached the elevator and he pressed the button to go up.

"What?" she asked, looking confused.

He held up their still clasped hands, "This."

She quickly let go and took a step away, creating some space between them, "It's nothing."

"Right," Jeff nodded. He didn't want to push. He had some more questions but he would just ask them later. He looked up at the lights above the elevator doors signaling the car was slowly making it's way to the lobby. Very slowly. He looked over at Raquel and she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Let's take the stairs," he suggested.

She nodded, following his lead.

He held the door to the staircase open for her and she walked inside. He usually took stairs two at a time but he kept a normal pace, knowing she would probably get annoyed.

"So," he said, growing a little impatient. "How long have you and Sabrina known each other?"

"I've known her since I was about 16," she answered. "Why?"

He shrugged, "It just..doesn't seem like you like each other much."

Raquel sighed, "I don't really want to talk about that..Let's just go check on Matt."

---------------------

John waited, holding a sleeping Maya as Brianna tried to quietly pull her keys out of her purse. It probably would have been an easier task if she didn't seem to have her entire life on her keychain. Finally, she got the keys out, unlocking the door and slowly pushing the door open. John walked in, looking back at her to ask where he should put Maya down. She had fallen asleep in the car on the way back from the theater. Before Bri could instruct him though, Maya yawned, slowly waking up. He set her down, keeping his hands at her sides for a few seconds to make sure the sleepy child had her balance.

"Hey sweetie," Brianna knelt in front of her, brushing her auburn curls out of her face. "Go upstairs and put on your pajamas and I'll come tuck you in, okay?"

"Okay," Maya nodded sleepily before making her way up the stairs. Bri stood up, squeaking as she yawned. She walked over to the phone that was resting in it's charger by the stairs and picked it up, going through the messages. John sat on the chair a few feet away from her. He was pretty tired himself but he didn't want the night to be over yet. He didn't want to go back to his apartment. He had to though, there wasn't any other option. Although, it was nice knowing that, aside from Maya, he and Bri were the only people in the house. She'd informed him earlier that Nick was working a very late shift and Gia left before they went to the movie to meet a friend and she was staying at her house for the night. John could see Brianna's eyelids drooping as she checked her messages. He knew she hadn't been sleeping very much and it bothered him. She worked herself too hard. He couldn't say much considering her did the same thing but he wanted her to get some rest. She deserved it. She hung up the phone and looked over at him, giving him a tired smile.

He was about to say something when Maya appeared at the top of the stairs clad in brightly colored pajamas, "I put my PJs on."

"You want me to tuck her in?" John offered.

"Sure," Bri shrugged. "But don't let her talk you into giving her any candy or money or anything."

"I'll try to avoid that," John laughed, walking up the stairs.

---------------------

Brianna waited a little while before walking up the stairs and towards Maya's open door. She leaned against the wall, listening in on the quiet conversation John and Maya were having.

"Brianna takes care of me _all the time_," Maya said.

Brianna smiled at the way she stressed her words.

"If I go to grandma Helen's, then who's gonna take care of Brianna?" Maya asked.

"You are way too young to be thinking about that," John laughed.

"I do though," Maya said.

"Well you don't need to worry," John said. "_I'll_ take care of Brianna..okay?"

"You promise?"

"Cross my heart," John promised.

Bri smiled. He was so good with kids.

"And I also promise that the _day_ you get back from your grandma's," John said. "We'll all go out just like we did today and we'll have _tons_ of fun..okay?"

"Okay," Maya said excitedly.

"Now get some shut eye," he instructed.

"Shut eye?" Maya asked.

"Sleep," he laughed.

"Oh okay," Maya giggled. "Goodnight John."

"Night Maya."

Brianna could hear him coming toward the door and she quickly walked down part of the hallway, then turned around and walked in his direction so he wouldn't know she was snooping.

"Is she asleep?" she asked when John walked out, gently closing the door behind him.

"Should be soon," he answered as they walked down the stairs.

"You are so good with her," she shook her head.

He shrugged, "She's a good kid."

"That she is," she smiled as they walked to the living room. He flopped down on the couch and she did the same, leaning back, feeling sleep threatening to overtake her. But she didn't want to go to sleep yet. She was finally getting to spend a little time with John. Just her and John.

---------------------

John put his arm on the back of the couch just before she leaned back. When she did, her head rested gently against him and she sighed, her eyes closing for a second. She opened them again, picking up her remote, turning on the TV. They sat in a totally comfortable silence for almost twenty minutes. He wasn't even paying attention to what was on TV. He was just enjoying sitting on an incredibly comfortable couch with an incredibly beautiful woman. He was more relaxed than he'd been in a while and he knew he was probably going to fall asleep soon. He looked over at Brianna just in time to see her yawning again.

"Tired?" he smirked.

"How'd you know?" she laughed.

"Your eye is doing that little twitchy thing it does when you need sleep," he pointed at her and she giggled, pushing his hand out of her face.

"I cant help it," she said. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah, it has," he agreed.

She leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. John ran his hand through her hair and a contented sigh escaped her.

"John," she sat up straighter, looking into his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"For spending the day with us," she said.

"Are you kidding?" he smirked. "There's no place I'd rather be than with you and Maya getting mobbed in department stores and movie theaters."

She laughed, playfully smacking his lug, "I'm serious..I really appreciate it."

"You don't need to thank me," he said. "I had a good time."

"Me too," she smiled.

Then, she relaxed again, resting her head more on his chest than his shoulder this time. John felt his heart rate speed up a little and he realized things were getting a little _too_ comfortable. If he didn't go soon, he might do something stupid.

"I should really get to sleep," he said.

She sat up slowly, looking up at the clock, "Yeah I probably should too. He got up and held his hand out to her, helping her up. Their hands started to slip apart but a few of their fingers stayed linked together as they walked toward the door.

"Thanks again," she said, stepping close to him and wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Anytime," he said, rubbing her back, trying not to notice how good it felt to touch her and to have her against him. It was hard though, especially when he inadvertently pulled her shirt up a few inches and his hand grazed the soft skin of her lower back. He slowly pulled out of the hug but his hand was still touching her back. He could feel himself getting lost in the combination of the softness of her skin and how beautiful she was. Her brown waves were messy from leaning on him, her big green eyes looked up at him with a mix of confusion and something else that he couldn't quite read. Wishful thinking told him that she was feeling the same things he was but wishful thinking could be quite the liar. Without thinking, he smoothed he ran a hand through her hair then let it come to rest at the side of her face. She blinked but she didn't move. She didn't discourage him. John wasn't thinking at all anymore. It was like he was standing beside himself, watching things happen, and he didn't have control over his own actions anymore. He brushed his thumb lightly over her full lips. Her eyes drifted down to his finger and then back to his eyes, searching him for an explanation that he didn't really have. He explained in the best way he could. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. The kiss only lasted about two seconds before he started to pull away, wanting to gauge her reaction. Before he could really pull back, she leaned into him, pressing a kiss to his lips. It was over as quickly as it began. She pulled back quickly, her mouth opening a little. She seemed to be as surprised by her actions as he was. For a second they just stared at each other, looking into each other's eyes. That was all John could take. His will power was gone and he couldn't say he missed it. He pulled her closer, bringing their lips together once again. This time, though, neither of them pulled away. John deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing her lips open. She wrapped her arms around his neck and one of his hands tangled in her hair while the other was still on her back, holding her close to him. She moaned softly, one of her hands finding the back of his neck and pulling him closer as he stroked her tongue with his. He moved his hand further up, until his fingers came in contact with lace. He stopped his hand but the kiss didn't stop. The passion he felt from her just made him hungrier for more. He moved them until her back was pressed against the wall and he couldn't stop a groan from escaping him when her hands gripped his shirt, pulling him so close that there was barely air between them. Then, as quickly as it began, it was over. She pulled away, her eyes wide. They were both breathing heavily and John could swear the ground was tilting beneath him. His head was spinning and from the confused look on her face, he could see that hers was too.

"John…" she searched for words but couldn't seem to find any.

"I..I'm sorry Bri," he ran a hand over his hair. He took a step back, knowing that if he didn't, they were going to end up in the same position in a few minutes.

"I.." she still couldn't seem to figure out what to say.

"I should go," he unlocked the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded, her absently bringing her right hand up, her fingers touching her lips. He walked out, quickly closing the door behind him, at least with some sort of a barrier between them he wouldn't jump her again. He sighed, resting his forehead against the door, "What now?"

---------------------

Brianna leaned against the door, running a hand through her hair. She felt like her feet weren't on the floor, she was dizzy and she could swear it was going to take her a week to catch her breath again. She hadn't felt a kiss like that since…she couldn't remember. She heard John walking away and leaned her head against the door, "What did I just do?"

---------------------

"He should be okay now, right?" Raquel asked as she and Jeff walked out of Matt's room.

Jeff closed the door quietly, "He better be. I'm not stayin' in there and watching him puke anymore."

"Hopefully he'll be able to sleep through the night," Raquel sighed.

"That's what he gets for using closin' his eyes and pointing as a way to choose his meal," Jeff laughed. "Bet he wont do that again."

"Probably not," Raquel laughed.

"You want me to walk you to your room?" he asked.

Raquel shrugged, "Sure."

"Which way?" he asked.

She pointed and he followed as she walked down the hall. They walked in relatively comfortable silence, their feet on the carpet and the hum of the ice machine creating the only noise.

"So," Jeff spoke, putting his hands in his pockets. "You gonna tell me why you were so nice to me earlier?"

She didn't say anything, not sure if she wanted to go into it.

"You know, at first, I kinda thought you were flirting with me," he laughed a little.

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, after a little while I figured it had something to do with Sabrina," he said.

She slowed her pace, knowing he probably wasn't going to let this go until she talked to him. She sighed, "I met Sabrina a few days after I signed with my first agency. I was young, never been on my own before, brand new to New York.."

Jeff nodded.

"The agency put me up in a model's apartment with Sabrina and two other girls, Kaia and Elise. Sabrina was the oldest and just..I don't know, she always acted like she had something to prove. She wanted to be better than the rest of us, do more jobs, make more money, buy more, whatever..And she hated that my father had so much money. She felt like I didn't have to work for everything like the other girls. But my first year, my dad didn't even help me. I made all my own money."

"That's pretty impressive," Jeff said.

"I _know_," Raquel said. "That's why it made no sense to me that she was always on my ass. Once we finally moved out of the apartment, we developed this..whatever we have now. We meet up when we're in the same city, we're completely bitchy to each other under the veil of this _friendship_ and I think I'm gonna feel better after I see her because I'm at a better place in my life than she is but I end up just being _frustrated_."

Raquel realized that she was babbling and looked over at Jeff, expecting him to be staring off into space. He wasn't though. His green eyes were focused on her. He was nodding, waiting for her to continue.

"She always puts down other people's choices and nothing in anyone else's life is ever good enough," she said. "And when she saw you today, she was obviously attracted to you so…"

"So you were using me to compete with her?" he asked.

"Pretty much," she nodded. "I'm so-"

"It's okay," Jeff shrugged. "As long as you let me do the same thing if we run into one of my old friends from high school or something."

She laughed, "I suppose I could allow that…Although I'm not sure anyone will believe that I got all clingy on you."

Jeff laughed.

"Since we're asking each other questions," she looked up at him as they reached the door to her room. "Why did you say that? You made yourself seem like a pathetic loser."

He shrugged, "I didn't like her."

"That's it?" she asked, a little disappointed.

A smile just barely touched his lips, "I didn't like the way she was treating you…happy?"

She shrugged, "I was just curious."

In truth, she was a little touched by his gesture _and_ his admission but there was no way she was admitting that. He didn't need to know.

She pulled her room key out of her purse, opening her door, "Thanks for walking me."

He shrugged, "Thanks for helping take care of Matt."

"Call me if you need more help later," she laughed.

"I will," he started to walk away. "Night."

"Goodnight."

She walked into her room but just before she closed the door she heard Jeff call her name.

"Yeah?" she opened it, leaning out.

He walked back, "I just wanted to say um..you shouldn't let Sabrina get you so frustrated..You don't have to compete with her. You don't need all that surgery and collagen to make you beautiful."

Raquel had to blink and refocus, making sure she was talking to Jeff and not some other person. It just didn't sound like him. He was being so..sweet.

"It's not collagen," she leaned against the doorjamb. "It's restalyne. It's less permanent."

Raquel wanted to smack herself. She had a bad habit of saying something either inappropriate or just spouting useless information when she didn't know what to say.

Jeff laughed a little, "I'll see you later Raquel."

She waved as he walked away, "Bye."

---------------------

John walked into his apartment, still riding one of the most amazing yet confusing highs he'd felt in a long time. He kept replaying the kiss over and over in his head. If he woke up to find this was a dream, he was gonna be pissed. He yawned, dropping his keys in the kitchen and pulling a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. Then, he stopped, sniffing the air. When he left the house it smelled like oven cleaner. Now, he smelled the faint scent of roses. The last time his house smelled like roses was when his mother forced him to have fresh flowers in the house when she visited and he knew damn well his mother wasn't there.

He walked toward his bedroom, frowning when he heard sheets rustling as he gripped the doorknob. He opened the door, stopping when he saw her. Paula was on the bed clad only in a bra and panties. The room was lit only by rose scented candles and she was smiling at him.

"You're home," she beamed.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I am. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to try and make up for earlier," she said. "We can get past this John. I'm not angry at you anymore and after seeing me like this..I'm sure you're not mad at me anymore…right babe?"

Laughter threatened to escape him but instead he just smiled, shaking his head, "You know Paula…I'm tired and I'm at the end of a _damn_ good day."

"Oh really?" she smiled as he walked closer to her.

He nodded, "Hell, I didn't think _anything_ could make this day better…But now that I see you..it turns out something can."

She smiled as he sat on the bed, "What's that baby?"

He smiled back at her, then reached forward, turning on the lamp beside his bed. "Kicking you out of my house right now," he answered, standing up, and walking over to the door, opening it wider. "So if I were you I'd pack it up and get the hell out…I gotta be up early in the morning."

---------------------


	25. Chapter 25

**Once again, apologies for the lack of updates this past week. All I can say is: busy, busy, drama, busy, busy. That's kind of my life right now. But the Bears played a kick ass game tonight and it inspired me to finish this chapter so here it is. I'm not in love with this one but it's a proper set up for what's about to happen...oooh, foreshadowing (well..not really)...As always: Read, Enjoy, and _Review_,my peeps! Hope ya like it! Hugs and all that!**

**Chapter 25...**

_Monday…_

"He _kissed_ you!" Raquel stared at her sister as they shared a very early breakfast. She picked Brianna up from the airport that morning and could tell within seconds that something was wrong. She was acting all nervous and she wasn't making eye contact. Brianna denied it until they sat down to breakfast in the hotel restaurant. That was when, after a little gentle prodding, she told her about everything that took place the day before.

Brianna nodded.

"And you're just telling me this _now_?" Raquel stared.

"What was I supposed to do?" Brianna asked. "Call you the second it happened?"

"Uh, _yeah_," Raquel nodded.

Brianna finished her water, staring at the glass as if it held the answers to all of life's questions.

"You two practically made out and then you just let him leave?" Raquel put her fork down. She needed both hands free to smack her sister around for being so damn frustrating. She couldn't understand why Brianna was so confused. The choice between John and Nick seemed like an easy one.

"I didn't know what else to do..I thought about stopping him but..I don't know. What was I supposed to say? It was like my brain just stopped working," Brianna ran a hand through her hair.

"Did you like it?" Raquel smirked.

Bri rolled her eyes, not answering the question.

"You did," Raquel nodded.

"I did not!" Brianna insisted.

Raquel gave her an incredulous look. Brianna was a horrible liar.

"Okay whatever, I liked it," Brianna shrugged, pushing her food around on her plate.

"_Duh_," Raquel laughed.

Brianna took a deep breath, still not meeting Raquel's eyes. Raquel made light of it but she did feel bad for her. She knew that this was a difficult situation and knowing Brianna, she was having trouble figuring out how to make everyone else happy. She really needed to teach her how to put herself first.

Brianna rested her head on the table, "Am I an idiot?"

"Yes, yes you are," Raquel patted the back of her head.

"Seriously," Brianna sighed, sitting up. "This isn't _me_. I'm _engaged_. I don't go around kissing other guys."

"John isn't just some guy Bri," she reminded her. "He's obviously not if you let him tongue you down."

"Raquel!" Bri squeaked.

Raquel laughed, scooting her chair over and hugging her sister, "You already know my opinion on this. I think you should dump Nick's ungrateful ass and marry John and have a bunch of babies. And as much as I _wish_ you would just do what I tell you to, I think we both know you're not going to."

"Because I'm a dumbass?" Brianna suggested.

"That's part of it," Raquel nodded.

"Why do I come to you when I need help?" Brianna sighed, resting her head on Raquel's shoulder.

Raquel rested her head atop Bri's, "I guess because you just don't know any better."

---------------------

"You're the best friend _ever_," Paula gushed as Candice opened the door to her hotel room.

Candice smiled, "I try."

Paula walked in, dropping her bags on the floor. After Paula called and told her everything that happened with John on Sunday, Candice suggested that she fly to Chicago as a guest of Candice. That way she could be around John and get him to change his mind. Sooner or later, he was going to realize what a huge mistake he made.

"Have you seen him today?" Paula asked.

Candice shook her head, "Not yet..but most of us just got in..It's still really early in the morning, I'm sure we'll see him before we have to go to the arena."

Paula smiled, "I hope so."

"Make yourself comfortable," Candice suggested, walking toward her bed. "I'm gonna get some more sleep before we have to go anywhere."

---------------------

John looked up at the ceiling, laying on the bed in his new hotel room. He was exhausted. Sleep refused to come the night before. Then, he thought he might get some sleep on the plane…No such luck. He and Brianna were on the same flight. They weren't sitting very close but just knowing she was there kept him from falling asleep. He kept looking over at her, expecting her to be looking at him. He was hoping for some hint, some tiny clue to tell him that their kiss had the same effect on her that it did him. Had it kept her up all night? Had she replayed it over and over in her mind the way he did? From the looks of it, she was just fine. For the first part of the flight, she was looking through some papers, occasionally making notes. More than once he saw her make a face at something she wrote, then scratch it out, write something else and smile, satisfied with her revision.

"Not that you were watching her like a stalker or anything John," he said to himself, shifting a little in the bed.

He hadn't spent the entire time looking at her. He read a few magazines, looked through his itinerary, and sent a text to Jeff and Randy telling them when they were going to work out. Then, after that was done, it was back to looking at Brianna. She had fallen asleep, curled up in her seat, her head resting against the window. The seat next to her was empty and he was tempted to take it. They needed to talk. But if she wanted to talk to him, she would have. She knew he was on the plane. He was a big guy, she couldn't miss him. He hoped he was wrong but there was a part of him, a _big_ part, that was worried about what she would say once they did talk. He felt the passion when she kissed him. He knew she was just as into it as he was. But what if she convinced herself that she wasn't? Knowing her, she felt like she'd suddenly become some horrible person because she kissed someone other than her fiancé. The fiancé that didn't deserve her. The fiancé that she didn't want the way she wanted him.

_Why the hell do women have to be so damn confusing?_

---------------------

_10:00 A.M._

Brianna watched from her chair between Brooke and her producer as Shane McMahon gave the dancers a speech about how they were auditioning to not only dance backup for Brooke at Summerslam, but to dance on Brooke's promotional tour for her album, a provision her label had decided on a few days earlier. Shane explained to them that they would be on the road rehearsing for a few weeks and told them a little about traveling with the WWE. He also made sure to tell them that if they were there to see wrestlers or become wrestlers, not backup dancers, then they should probably leave. Brianna smirked a little when she saw at least four girls and two guys begin to look very nervous. Shane had done a great job setting everything up. The ring wasn't in place yet so the dancers were auditioning in the open space where it was supposed to be. Most of them were sitting in the seats where the roaring crowd would be that night for Raw, a few of them were sitting on the barricade. Brianna, Brooke, Brooke's producer, and her mother and father were sitting at a table at the end of the ramp that the crew had just finished setting up. Of course, with Brooke and her family came the camera crew from Hogan Knows Best, they were behind the table, and Shane had placed two WWE photographers amongst the crowd to take pictures of the auditions for the WWE's website. Brianna hadn't quite expected this much attention for the auditions but it wasn't a big deal. As long as everyone let her do her job, she didn't mind at all.

"Okay," Shane clapped his hands together as his speech came to an end. "Now that I've bored you all to tears, allow me to introduce a choreographer you all should feel very privileged to have the opportunity to work with Brianna Kavner."

Most of the dancers cheered and Brianna got up, motioning for them to quiet down.

"Thank you for the introduction Shane," she said. Then, she turned to the crowd of dancers, "And thank you all for coming out. I'm gonna make this as quick as possible because we don't have a ton of time…To be honest, there are a lot more of you here than we anticipated."

Some of the dancers were starting to look nervous. Brianna could understand why. Back when she was auditioning, the phrase 'there are more of you than we anticipated', usually meant 'most of you are gonna get sent home without us even seeing you dance'.

"Don't get antsy," she laughed. "Because you have my word that I will do everything I can to make sure you _all_ get a chance to dance for us today…But for me to be able to make that happen, I need you all to be as cooperative as humanly possible. You were given numbers when you signed in. I expect you to have that number pinned somewhere on your clothing. I don't care where, it can be on your ass, your arm, wherever, but it needs to be visible."

They all nodded.

"The first part of the audition is gonna go like this," she began. "I'm sure if any of you are like I was when I first started out, when you found out about this call, you found any Brooke Hogan song you could and came up with some steps."

A few of them laughed or smiled sheepishly.

"It's okay, you tried to prepare, that's good," Bri laughed. "But I don't want to see what you come up with for Brooke's songs. I already have choreography for most of them. So I've picked out 6 songs, none of which are Brooke's, when you come up here, we need you to stand on the mark, say your name and then one of those songs will play. You'll each get 45 seconds to freestyle. When you finish, we'll ask you a few questions and then let you know if we'd like for you to stay around and learn some choreography. Once we've gotten through everyone, those of you who've been asked to stay will learn a short routine. Depending on how long this takes, we might make our decision today or we might ask you to come back and run through it tomorrow. Everybody understand?"

All of the dancers agreed.

"Fantastic," Bri smiled, walking back toward the table, "Number 1, can you step up to the mark please?"

---------------------

Jeff impatiently pushed the 'Down' button as he waited for the elevator. He pushed it again and finally, after a few seconds, the doors opened. He was greeted with the sight of Raquel looking down at her nails.

"Morning," he nodded.

"Hey," she smiled.

Jeff grew nervous for a second, then relaxed. Seeing her smile at him was something he was still getting used to. It was nice but he was always suspicious for a few seconds. He couldn't help it.

"How is it that we always end up in elevators together?" he asked.

"I don't know," she laughed. "I don't care as long as we don't get stuck."

"This one seems to be running pretty well," Jeff lightly knocked on the wall. "Where ya headed?"

"I don't know really," she shrugged. "I need some coffee but after that…"

She trailed off and he nodded, "Sounds like fun."

She laughed as the doors opened and he gestured for her to go first, "I'm sure it will be. Where are you headed?"

"A few of us have to go to the arena early to sign some stuff that's gonna be put up for auction," he explained as they walked. "And I have a sudden craving for McDonald's."

Raquel laughed.

"Seriously, I've been thinking about pancakes and sausage from McDonald's since we got off the plane."

"Now that you mention it, their hash browns are damn good," Raquel laughed.

"See," Jeff laughed. "You know about the breakfast menu."

They reached the doors to the lobby and Jeff held the door open for her. He smiled, enjoying the sound of her laugh. It wasn't the condescending laugh he was used to, yet another welcome change.

"Listen, if you're not busy, you wanna go grab some breakfast?" he asked. "My treat."

"I already had breakfast with Bri," she said.

"Oh," he nodded.

She smiled, "But I guess I could split a hash brown with you."

---------------------

John turned down the hall toward the locker rooms, his bag thrown over his shoulder. He had to be at the arena early to sign a bunch of stuff for the auction website and he wanted to toss his bag in the locker room before he got started. His phone beeped in his pocket but he ignored it, figuring it was just Paula trying to get in touch with him again. She was truly someone he had to look at and wonder 'What the hell did I see in her?'

He was so lost in trying to answer that question that he didn't see her until it was too late.

---------------------

Brianna stumbled back dropping the dancers headshots and résumés on the floor.

"Shit!" she dropped to her knees to pick them up. She'd just finished putting them in the exact order she wanted.

"Sorry Bri."

She looked up, realizing that she hadn't even looked to see who she collided with. John's eyes met hers as he knelt down to help her. She quickly looked back down to the floor, pushing the papers together, completely disregarding the order. He handed her a few and they were done quickly. He stood up, holding out his hand to help her up.

"Thanks," she said, lightly brushing dust off of her knees. She looked up at him again and her breath caught in her throat. She didn't know what to do or say.

"So," she nodded.

"How are the auditions going?" he asked.

"Okay," she pushed her hands into her pocket. "The hard part is weeding out the ones that are here to see wrestlers."

John laughed a little, "Sounds fun."

"Yeah," she nodded.

He was better at hiding it but she could see that he felt just as awkward as she did.

"So," he lightly rubbed the spot behind his ear.

She sighed, looking down at her hands, "Are we gonna talk about it or not?"

"I didn't think you wanted to," John admitted, looking relieved that she was the first to bring it up.

"I don't think we have much of a choice," she shrugged.

He nodded to an open door not far from where they were standing. She followed him into the small office, closing the door behind them.

He looked at her expectantly, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"You look like you have a lot on your mind," John shrugged. "You first."

"Okay," she nodded, taking a deep breath. She wasn't sure how to say what she needed to say. She needed to figure it out soon though because John looked pretty anxious. After talking to Raquel for almost an hour, she'd come to a conclusion. A conclusion that Raquel didn't like and John probably wouldn't either.

"Last night…" she searched for the right words. "Last night..I was tired.._very_ tired. And I've been under a _lot_ of stress lately and-"

"And you think it was a mistake?" he finished. She could see from the look in his eyes that this wasn't going to go as smoothly as she'd hoped. He looked frustrated.

She nodded slowly in answer to his question.

"Why?" he asked, obviously a little annoyed. "Because of Nick?"

Brianna looked away, feeling insecure under his gaze.

"Nick treats you like _shit_," John said. "Or hadn't you noticed?"

"This is complicated John," she looked up at him again.

"What's so complicated?" he asked. "Nick is an asshole. I'm not. It's not brain surgery!"

Brianna could feel her face getting hot. A part of her could understand his frustration but it was beginning piss her off that he couldn't seem to understand her position.

She tried to speak calmly, "It's easy for you to simplify it when you're not in my shoes."

---------------------

John stared at Bri, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She could get angry with him at the drop of a hat it seemed, but from what he knew, she didn't do that with Nick. He ran a hand over his hair, thinking back to what Randy said. He didn't want to admit it but it was possible that Randy's paranoid theories weren't so paranoid after all. Maybe she really was just messing with his head. Maybe she was perfectly content with her relationship with her fiancé and John was nothing but someone for her to toy with when she got bored.

"You know what," he shrugged, trying to keep his anger in check. "Maybe you're right…Maybe that kiss was a mistake."

She looked surprised. Probably because he hadn't reacted the way she wanted. He wasn't professing his love and begging her to leave Nick. He shook his head, not wanting to be in the room with her anymore. It was becoming clear to him that she wasn't the Brianna he knew before. She was a different person. Someone John wasn't sure he needed in his life.

---------------------

"Oh that one turned out good," Jeff laughed, pointing at a picture of Raquel signing a chair from Raw. The pictures were on a monitor that David, the photographer, set up to make sure everyone saw what was going up on the site.

"You think so?" Raquel laughed. "I don't like that one."

"Why not?" Jeff asked.

"Because I look weird and my nose is all wrinkled up," she said.

"You were laughing," he shrugged.

"Because you pulled up your shirt and said 'sign these'," Raquel playfully pushed him.

"You know you wanted to," he laughed. "I like that one. It's cute."

"If you say so."

Raquel smiled as David showed them another set of pictures. She couldn't believe how much fun she was having with Jeff. They spent much longer than they anticipated at McDonald's. Once their food was finished they just sat at a table in the corner, trading random stories. Then when they made it to the arena, they spent most of their time trying to make each other laugh while they were having their pictures taken.

She pointed to a picture of Jeff crossing his eyes while holding one of his signed t-shirts, "I think that's the one."

---------------------

_Later…_

Paula walked into the women's dressing room where Candice was sitting in a chair, flipping through the pages of a magazine.

"Hey," Paula smiled, handing her friend a cup of coffee.

"Thanks hun," Candice smiled. Something about the smile seemed a little off, like she was hiding something. Paula noticed that Candice quickly closed the magazine, placing it next to her and then moving her leg over it.

"What's that?" Paula questioned.

"What's what?"

"Under your leg," Paula laughed, pointing at the periodical.

"Oh _that_," Candice laughed. "That's just next month's WWE magazine. Vince gave it to me today. It's an advance copy."

"Why'd he give it to you?" Paula asked.

"I'm on the cover," Candice smiled proudly, holding it up to show her the picture.

"You look _great_!" Paula exclaimed. "Let me see."

Paula grabbed the magazine but Candice wouldn't let it go.

"Oh you don't need to see it," Candice laughed nervously. "The pictures inside really aren't that great."

"Come on, I wanna see," Paula tugged, wanting to figure out what her friend was hiding.

"Really, you don't," Candice shook her head, trying to pull it back.

"Candice!" Paula exclaimed, yanking the magazine away. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Candice looked tense. "I just um..there's something in there that you _might_ not want to see."

"What?" Paula opened it, flipping through the pages. That was when she spotted it.

---------------------

"Okay people," Brianna stood in the ring. After the crew set it up, Vince had given her permission to continue auditions and use the ring for a few hours. Raquel had come to ringside to watch along with Trish, Andrew, Matt, and Jeff.

"We're gonna take this from the top," she instructed. "No music, just counts."

All of the dancers nodded.

"Okay, 5..6..7..8.."

Brianna scanned the group, taking mental notes of their strengths and weaknesses. Natalie was a stand out, as usual, along with a few others. Brianna called out moves occasionally, just to remind the few who seemed to be losing the steps.

"Very nice," Brianna said as they reached the end of the routine. "You're all doing a great job. You guys can take a seat for a few while I go over some things with Brooke. I'll call you back in about 10 minutes."

Brianna turned toward her sister and her friends but before she could say anything she heard someone coming down the ramp toward the ring.

"Hey!"

---------------------

Raquel was ready to give Brianna some opinions on the dancers when she heard a loud "Hey!"

She turned to see Paula storming down the ramp. Her furious gaze was trained on Brianna.

"What the hell?" Trish looked as confused as Raquel felt.

Paula walked up the ring steps and entered the ring. Raquel was beginning to feel like she was sitting ringside at Raw.

"Can I help you?" Brianna raised a brow at her.

Paula was holding a magazine in her hand. She held it in Brianna's face, "What the hell is this?"

"Looks like a magazine to me," Brianna said, pushing it away. "Do you need something? I'm trying to get some work done here."

"Oh you mean you're taking a break from trying to steal my boyfriend?" Paula glared.

A smile slowly spread across Brianna's face, "Last I heard, he wasn't your boyfriend anymore."

Paula's response was a hard slap across Bri's face.

"You crazy _bitch_!" Brianna stared for a second.

Paula had a smug smile on her face. Brianna fixed that with a hard punch right to the other woman's jaw.

"Damn!" Trish laughed as Paula fell, holding her face.

"Whore!" Paula yelled, pulling off one of the pumps she was wearing and launching it at Bri. Brianna ducked but it caught the top of her head. That was obviously the last straw because Brianna ran at Paula, who was finally standing up after getting punched. Bri's fist caught the redhead's jaw again but before Paula could fall, she reached out, grabbing hold of Brianna's hair, causing them both to fall.

Raquel stood up, ready to stop this but Andrew grabbed her arm, "Dude…let 'em fight."

"No!" Raquel pulled her arm away. She was about to demand that someone stop the fight but before she could, Matt and Jeff had hopped the barricade and slid into the ring, pulling the furious women apart. Jeff wrapped his arms around Brianna's waist and lifted her off of a screaming Paula.

"Let me go!" Brianna yelled.

"Calm down," Jeff said as she struggled against him.

"I'm calm," Bri said. "That _bitch_ is the one attacking people!"

"You're trying to steal my man!" Paula yelled, struggling to free herself from Matt's grasp.

"He's not your man dumbass!" Bri yelled.

"And how would _you_ know that?" Paula asked.

"He told me," Brianna smiled, a little out of breath from the struggle.

That seemed to set Paula off again, "_Bitch_!"

Paula wriggled free and ran at Jeff and Brianna. Bri stepped on Jeff's foot.

"Ow!" he yelled, letting her go.

The women were at it again and there was a loud smack that rang throughout the arena when Paula slapped Bri again. Brianna recovered quickly though with a backhand across Paula's face. Before either of them could swing again, Matt and Jeff grabbed them, pulling them apart.

Andrew laughed, shaking his head, "That was awesome."

---------------------

_5 Minutes Later…_

John stood in Vince's office, looking around, amazed at how this day was going. It wasn't even 2 in the afternoon and he'd already gotten into a near argument with Bri. Then, he heard about Brianna and Paula getting into a fight and now he was in the office after Vince had sent Shane to come get him to address the situation. He'd had to explain to Vince that he and Paula were no longer together and she was not there as his guest. Jeff and Matt, the two who'd broken up the fight, were also in the office. Jeff was standing with an arm over Brianna's shoulders. Her cheeks were red and her hair was a mess. Her angry eyes were trained on Paula. A few feet away, Matt was standing next to Paula, who was sporting a dark bruise along her jaw, another one forming around her eye, and the back of her dress was ripped. She was glaring right back at Bri. John couldn't tell if he liked that this fight started because of him or if it pissed him off. It wasn't a surprise that Paula would do something so stupid and unprofessional but it was out of character for Brianna. At least it proved that their little confrontation earlier bothered her. Still, he didn't need this happening when he was trying to focus on work.

"Exactly how did this start?" Vince asked.

"I read _this_!" Paula held up the magazine.

"I have _no_ idea what she's talking about!" Brianna exclaimed, frustrated. "I haven't even seen what's in that magazine. I have _no clue_ what set that _freak_ off."

"Don't call me a freak!" Paula screeched.

"Shut up!" Brianna yelled.

"You haven't seen this yet?" Vince asked Brianna, looking surprised.

Bri shook her head.

John was confused. He hadn't seen the magazine either.

"Have you seen it?" Vince asked John.

"Nope," John shook his head. "Why?"

Brianna snatched the magazine from Paula, who was busy staring at John. Once she realized what the other woman had done, Paula tried to get to her.

"Matt, Jeff, could you take Paula into the hall please?" Vince asked.

_He wants to talk to me and Bri…Okay, I _know_ I didn't do anything stupid…_

Matt and Jeff did as they were asked.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Shane shook his head. "I told you it was gonna cause trouble."

"Shane," Vince glared at his son.

Shane sat back in his chair, shaking his head.

_What the hell is in the damn magazine?_

Brianna flipped through the pages then stopped. John could see her eyes scanning the words, then, they went wide.

She started to read out loud, "WWE magazine has gotten quite a few letters and emails from fans asking about some pictures that showed up on the internet of WWE champ John Cena with gorgeous So You Think You Can Dance judge, Brianna Kavner. In some of the pictures, Kavner is sporting quite a rock on her left ring finger…WWE Magazine went straight to the source to find out what's really going on."

Brianna looked up from the magazine to Vince, "What is this?"

John took the magazine from her, staring at the pictures accompanying the 'article'. One of them was John and Brianna hugging outside the arena the day that she came to Raw. Another was from the video set when they were looking at her phone together, leaning very close and laughing at one of the pictures. There was one more from the video set but this one was posed. Bri was in her skimpy outfit from one of the dance sequences and they were standing together, he had an arm over her shoulders and was blowing a kiss into the camera. He skimmed over the words she'd already read, then picked up where she left off, "We asked John Cena to comment on the rumors and, never one to hide the truth, he answered all of our questions. The truth is the champ _is_ involved with the beautiful dancer but according to him, the rumor that they are engaged is absolutely false."

Now John looked up at Vince, "Anybody wanna tell us what's going on here?"

"Well…" Vince searched for words.

Brianna walked over to John, reading more, "Cena tells us 'Bri is great. She's smart and funny and she's got that smile. She could get away with murder lookin' like that'."

"They even made up quotes?" Brianna stared.

John didn't say anything. She scanned the article more, choosing another quote to read, " 'This is new for us..and it'll be interesting since I'm pretty sure she's gonna be on the road with us in a matter of days…Where did these come from?"

She looked up at Vince but John had the answer to her question.

"I said that," John explained. "But I didn't say it in an _interview_..I said it to that creepy kid Max at the video set."

Then, it dawned on them. They'd been set up. They both turned to Vince again.

"You tricked me?" John stared.

"I wouldn't say we tricked you," Vince said.

"I would," Brianna chimed in.

"We?" Shane interrupted. "This was _your_ idea."

Vince glared at his son.

Before they could pry any explanation out of him, Vince's phone rang. He picked it up quickly, excusing himself from the room before anyone could argue.

Brianna watched him leave and then turned back to John and Shane, "I am _so_ confused."

"Dad thought it would be a good idea to run this piece in the magazine," Shane explained. "He says it's a good publicity for both of you."

"_What_?" John laughed. He was angry but at the same time, it was so confusing it was funny.

"He calls it classic cross promotion," Shane explained. "Fans of you and your show will tune in to Raw to see the guy you're dating and the WWE fans will tune in to your show to see who their champ is dating."

"But it's not true," Brianna shook her head.

"We understand that," Shane nodded. "Which is why Dad sent Max to the video set to get some good quotes out of John."

"Okay, did anyone take into consideration that I have a fiancé?" Brianna asked.

"Trust me, I brought it up," Shane put his hands up. "I'm sorry about this."

"So wait..your dad flips out if someone leaks something true onto the internet, but he puts a fake ass story about me in a magazine and that's cool?" John asked.

Shane shrugged, "You know how he gets when he thinks he sees an opportunity to draw in more viewers.

"What is wrong with your father?" John asked.

Shane shook his head, "You have no idea how many times I get asked that question."

---------------------

"Well that was interesting," Matt laughed as he and Jeff walked away from Paula. They'd left her talking to Candice after making Candice promise to keep her away from Brianna.

"It was nice seeing someone punch Paula in the face," Jeff laughed.

Matt laughed, "Yeah it was. Sucks that John missed it."

Jeff nodded as they rounded the corner.

"So uh…you were hanging out with Raquel today, huh?" Matt asked.

Jeff sighed, not in the mood for 20 Questions, Matt Hardy's new favorite game.

"Yeah Matt, I did," he said. "And after today, I think I'm gonna ask her to marry me."

"You don't have to get all touchy, I was just asking," Matt shrugged.

"I'm not touchy," Jeff insisted. "I just don't want you making something out of nothing."

"I wont," Matt shrugged. "Although you gotta admit it's pretty weird that you two are friends all of a sudden."

"I don't know if I'd say we're _friends_," Jeff shrugged. "We're just..not enemies anymore."

---------------------

Randy looked up when John stormed into the locker room and then slammed the door shut. He yanked his bag from the bench and roughly pulled the zipper open.

"What's your problem now?" Randy asked.

"You didn't hear about the fight?" John asked.

"Oh I heard about it," Randy laughed. "I heard Vince called them both into a conference room for a talk."

"He did," John nodded. "He asked me to come in too because he thought _I_ brought Paula here. I had to explain to him that we broke up and she wasn't my guest. Then we figured out why Paula flipped out."

"Why?"

"Vince put an 'interview' in the new magazine that made it look like I was confirming that Brianna's my new girlfriend."

"What?" Randy laughed.

"Some shit about cross promotion or something," John shook his head. "I swear, sometimes I think he's losin' it."

Randy laughed, shaking his head, "Well I heard your new woman's got a mean right hook."

"I don't understand her," John said, pacing angrily. "If she's angry enough to try and beat the hell out of Paula over me..why would she say kissing me was a mistake? She blamed _sleep depravation_. That's bullshit and she knows it. And then when we were in Vince's office, all she was worried about was what Nick would think."

"He is her fiancé," Randy reminded him.

"I'm aware of that," John glared. "I'm just sick of hearing about him. He's not the one she was kissing last night."

"Look man, just don't let her jerk you around," Randy instructed.

John sat down, taking a deep breath, "I wont I just..I just don't get her."

"Don't worry about her," Randy said. "What you need, is a distraction."

---------------------


	26. Chapter 26

**So, I wrote most of this really, really tired...if it doesn't make sense, just roll with it..I swear the next chapter will be completely coherent. Work is chaotic right now, the boyfriend is..well, possibly no longer the boyfriend..There's an ex coming back into the picture, plus a new guy...I'm tellin ya peeps, when it rains it pours. Too much drama in my life, I need a vacation. Big hugs to all of you who let me know what you think, I'll try to have at least one more update done this weekend since this one is short. As always, Read, Enjoy, & Review! Later!**

**Chapter 26...**

_Detroit, Michigan_

_Friday_ (_4 Days Later…_)

"Alright," Brianna stopped, slightly out of breath. She picked up the remote for the stereo and stopped Brooke's CD before it went to the next song. "Not too bad."

She turned to face Brooke and then 8 dancers they'd chosen. They were all looking at her expectantly. She'd promised them that she would think about ending rehearsal early if they nailed the two routines they learned so far.

She put on a serious face, "About Us was pretty good but I noticed some slip ups…My Space is getting there but you all need some work."

The dancers groaned. Marcus, Brianna's favorite of the male dancers, laid down on the floor, putting his hat over his face.

"And I know you've only been working on these for two days but I expect you to have these down by tomorrow and I'm not sure how that's gonna happen if I let you leave so early," she shook her head.

They looked crestfallen.

"But I'm sure I'll find a way, you can go," Brianna smiled, waving them away.

"Woohoo!" Brooke exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"But you better believe I'm gonna work all your asses to the bone tomorrow," she said, turning to pick up the hat she'd taken off and tossed on the floor earlier.

"Hey boss, why don't you come hang out with us tonight?" Marcus asked.

"Yeah, we're going out to celebrate our new jobs," Natalie smiled.

"Marcus, I told you about calling me boss," she laughed, turning and poking him in the chest. "And I would guys but I'm not exactly in a celebratory mood. You all go have fun."

"Well will you at least come eat with us now?" Lisette, another one of the dancers, asked. "We've been up since 6, we're all starving."

"As much as I'd love to, I cant," she said. "Seriously, you guys go, have fun. Get some rest."

Brooke and the rest of the dancers left the studio and Brianna walked around the room, picking up discarded towels. Matthew Monroe, one of her good friends, owned quite a few dance studios nationwide and agreed to give Brianna full access to them while she was training Brooke and her dancers, as long as she guest taught a few classes when she had time. She did one Wednesday, the day she arrived in Detroit and due to the huge response, she promised to do another one on Friday before they flew out. She tossed the towels in the laundry bin in the corner and then walked over to the mirrored wall, sitting down and picking up her water bottle. She held it against her forehead, taking a deep breath as it slowly cooled her down. She picked up the stereo remote with her other hand, quickly turning the CD back on and then putting it back down. She needed to get to work on some more choreography but she was starting to have a little trouble. There was a little too much going on in her head at once. Monday night she was informed that in addition to the one routine she was asked to choreograph, the label was hoping that she would develop routines for the entire CD to help with Brooke's promotional tour. Brianna was a little annoyed that they would ask her this with Brooke's first promotional appearance to take place in two weeks but she didn't feel right saying no so she agreed. Then, she got up at 4 Tuesday morning and went to the studio to come up with another routine before the final auditions. She was done by 7. The dancers arrived for the audition at 7:30. Brianna, along with Brooke and her representatives, picked Brooke's 8 tour dancers. During the individual auditions, Brianna had written her ideal final 8. Natalie, Lisette, Janna, and Toni were her favorite girls. Gregory, Marcus, Danny, and Sean were her favorite of the male dancers. After a little arguing, Brianna got all of the dancers she wanted. It was especially easy to get her way after she reminded them of the workload they were springing on her. They had rehearsals for 3 hours Wednesday morning, then during the day she actually managed to spend some time with her sister and her new friends. That night it was back to work. She had to fly back to LA to begin work on the group number she was to teach the final 8 for SYTYCD's results show for the next week. She arrived at the airport at 8 P.M. and Rob picked her up, taking her to her studio so that they could run through the number and work out all the kinks. They worked for 2 hours, then she went home and passed out. Gia woke her up at 6 to ask if she could borrow her car to go get her hair done and Bri vaguely remembered tossing the keys at her, face still buried in a pillow. Once she finally got back to sleep at 6:30, Nick came home and got on the phone with his brother. It was impossible for her to sleep through the noise so she got up, gave him her best evil eye and walked out, storming down the hall to the upstairs guest room. She slept for another hour before Nick knocked on the door, telling her the show's publicist was on the phone. She had another vague memory, this time of herself yelling 'what the hell does she want?' before Nick came in and pressed the phone to her ear. Brianna hung it up but Julia called back informing her that she had a bunch of satellite interviews to do in an hour. By the time she finished her shower, the limo was already outside for her. She had to have her hair and makeup done on the way there. The only good thing about the ride was that they also picked up her fellow judge/choreographer Mia Michaels, one of Brianna's closest friends. On the ride, Mia informed Brianna that she'd been asked by some fans and a few of the show's dancers, if there was any truth to the rumor that she was dating John Cena. Mia, of course, knew the truth, but she also knew John and Brianna's history and had some questions of her own when she found out how much time Bri had spent around him recently. Before she knew it, she'd spilled her guts to Mia, telling her everything that happened from her welcome back party to the kiss and her friend was staring at her in surprise. Before they could talk more, they were at the theater where the show was shot. Brianna, Mia, Mary Murphy and head judge Nigel Lythgoe sat at the judges table and answered questions from reports from various media outlets around the country. They playfully dodged questions about who their pick to win the contest was and promoted the show as best they could for two and a half hours. To Bri's surprise, she even had to answer some questions about her recent involvement with the WWE, which, of course, led to questions about her and John. Vince's plan had obviously worked the way he wanted it to. She tried to be coy about it but made sure to fit in plugs for Brooke and Summerslam when she got the chance. After the satellite interviews were done, Brianna went to her dressing room backstage and took a nap for 45 minutes. Then, the dancers arrived and she spent the rest of the day running through routines with them to make sure they were ready for the show that night. Then, she had 20 minutes to change clothes and get into the audience to watch. She called Nick to see if he was coming but he, of course, said he didn't feel like it. Brianna cheered on her 'babies' as she liked to call the show's contestants, though some of them were older than her. Once the show was over, she met up with the judges and dancers backstage and they gave the contestants their usual pep talk. Bri made sure to talk to her favorite of the dancers, a 19 year old by the name of Ainsley Scott, assuring the younger woman that she was doing great. Usually, Bri took all of the dancers out to dinner on Wednesday nights after the show but she apologized for not having time and went back home. She changed clothes, tossed everything out of her suitcases and packed all new items, hauled ass to the airport boarded yet another flight and got into Detroit at 2 A.M. She listened to Brooke's CD on the flight, making sure she clearly remembered the routines she had done and coming up with ideas for new ones. Once she got to the hotel, she sent Raquel a text to let her know she was there, went up to her room and fell asleep, not bothering to change into pajamas. Then she got up at 6 to meet the dancers at the studio by 7.

"And now it's noon," she sighed, looking up at the clock. She yawned, picking herself up and grabbing her bag and keys. The studio wasn't supposed to be open until 1 so she had to lock up on her way out.

_20 Minutes Later…_

Brianna smiled, waving at the young girl she'd just signed an autograph for as she and her mother walked to their car. Right when she got out of her rental car outside the hotel, the young girl ran up to her, telling her SYTYCD was her favorite show. Brianna thanked her for watching, took a few pictures, and signed an autograph. Now, she was on her way into the hotel, praying that there was nothing between her and at least a few hours of sleep. Then, just as she walked through the doors, she saw him. John was standing in the middle of the lobby, looking down at his watch. He'd barely said a word to her since Monday. She understood that he was bothered by what she said about kissing him but still…it was driving her crazy. She didn't like him being mad at her. She didn't like not talking to him, not being around him. Every time they saw each other he just looked at her like…like he didn't want her around. It hurt. It hurt a lot. Maria and Trish offered to talk to him for her but she asked them not to. Raquel kept telling her to just talk to him but she wasn't sure if she could. She was scared. Scared of what he would say. It hurt enough to assume that he didn't want her there but she wasn't sure she wanted to actually hear him say the words.

_So just go upstairs and don't say anything to him_

She took a deep breath and started walking again, not sure if he even saw her. The closer she got to John the more she wanted to just run up and beg him to end this silence. Maybe she should just talk to him. Maybe she needed to just get it over with.

_Okay fine, I'll try to talk to him. What's the worst that could happen?_

She squared her shoulders and started walking in his direction.

---------------------

John looked at his watch, wondering what the hell was taking Randy so long. He forgot his phone in the hotel restaurant and it had been a while since he went back to get it. Knowing Randy, some chick caught his eye.

John looked at the watch again, deciding to give Randy five minutes before he left him. He wasn't in a very patient mood. He wasn't in a good mood period. It started after his argument with Brianna on Monday and just never seemed to end. Now that he'd decided she was toying with him, having Brianna around was driving him crazy. He wasn't one to let things or people get to him like this and it bugged him that she was having such an effect on his demeanor. For months he'd had fans turning on him, people criticizing his ability in the ring, his musical talent, his acting ability even though his damn movie wouldn't be out for months and he still managed to stay positive and be happy. But one kiss with that damn woman and the resulting argument managed to make him a complete and total crab-ass for days. Randy tried, in his own way, to make him feel better by trying to hook him up with a few girls he knew. He humored his friend, going out to a few clubs and bars, trying to have a little fun but he wasn't really into it. He sighed, looking around for Randy, cutting his time down to 3 minutes. That was when he spotted her. Brianna was standing in the lobby, a gym bag thrown over her shoulder. Even in a white tank top, loose fitting jeans, and a Steelers hat she looked frustratingly beautiful. She started walking toward him and he sighed, not ready for this conversation. He wanted, needed, to be mad at her for a while. The anger he was feeling was clear and simple, nothing confusing about it. If he talked to Brianna, he'd slip into that gray area. The area where he wanted to be mad at her but just being close to her, looking into her eyes made it hard. Why did she have to make things so difficult?

"John," she said his name quietly as she approached. She looked nervous.

"Sorry that took so long," Randy finally reappeared. He looked back and forth between them, "You ready to go man?"

John looked down at his watch again, this time to avoid looking at her.

"Yeah," John agreed. "I'll see you later Bri."

---------------------

"That was fun," Raquel laughed as she and Jeff walked out of the theater. "I don't think I've ever seen a movie this early in the day before."

Jeff shrugged, finishing his bag of M&Ms, "Just don't tell Matt we saw a movie while he had a signing. He'd be pissed at us."

Raquel smirked, he was probably right. They had become quite the trio lately. They were a lot of fun to hang out with. And their occasional brotherly bickering was strangely cute. As fun as it was to be with both of them, she had to admit, it was nice spending a little time alone with Jeff. She'd finally gotten over her shock that they were actually friends all of a sudden. Now she was just enjoying getting to know him. And Matt..But maybe Jeff a little more than Matt. Maybe.

"You know, I've never spent so much money on food at the movies," he looked over at her and the bag she was carrying.

"I like candy," she shrugged. "And nachos."

"And pretzels," he reminded her.

"I only got one pretzel," she pointed. "And _you_ ate half of it."

"I was hungry," he shrugged as they reached his rental car. He opened her door and made sure she got in before walking around to the driver's side. She smiled at the gentlemanly gesture.

He caught her smile and gave her a confused look as he started the car, "What?"

"Nothing," she shook her head.

"You sure?"

She nodded.

He still looked confused but he shrugged, pulling out of the parking space.

"So, I'm planning a little outing tonight," she said, putting her bag of candy in the backseat.

"What kind of an outing?"

"There's a club called Warehouse that's about 15 or 20 minutes from the hotel," Raquel explained. "I wanna check it out. Plus, I need to get Bri out of this miserable mood she's been in."

"That have anything to do with John being so damn cranky the past few days?" he laughed.

Raquel nodded, "It's got everything to do with that. I'm inviting a bunch of people. You wanna go?"

"Sure," Jeff shrugged. "Why not?"

Raquel smiled, "Good..So what time is Matt's signing over?"

Jeff looked at the clock, "About an hour. What do you wanna do 'til then?"

"Well," she thought about it for a second. Then, she smiled, "I could use a new dress for tonight."

Jeff shook his head, "I am _not_ going shopping with you."

---------------------

"So he just walked off with Randy?"

Brianna nodded, curled up in bed, using the pillow to keep her phone pressed to her ear. She was planning on taking a nap but Maria called on the way back from her radio interview and she just had to tell someone about her brief encounter with John.

"He said 'See you later' and left," Brianna explained.

"I don't know what his deal is," Maria sighed. "Do you want me to talk some sense into him?"

"No, I don't think that's gonna help but thanks," Bri said. "I understand why he's mad I just..I don't know..This _sucks_. Maybe I just need to eat some ice cream and sleep for a few days"

"Eating yourself to sleep is not gonna make you feel better," Maria laughed. "Going out with us tonight will."

"I don't think I'm up for that," Brianna sighed.

"You're being mopey," Maria stated.

"I know," Bri said. "I'm okay with that."

"No you're not, I can tell you're not."

Brianna sighed. She hadn't known Maria for very long but they had were already getting to know each other pretty well.

"Come on now, I know you packed at _least_ one hot dress," Maria said cheerfully.

"I always keep a few handy," Brianna confirmed. "But I'm not going. I told you, I've got a date with some peach ice cream and my slightly low thread count hotel sheets and prickly down feather pillows."

"You're so going," Maria laughed. "You can say no now but you'll change your tune when you have me, Raquel, and Trish ganging up on you."

"I don't think so," Brianna shook her head. "I'm really not in a clubbing mood."

"You will be."

---------------------

"How many dresses are you gonna try on?" Jeff asked, sitting in a chair, yelling back into the fitting rooms. The saleswoman gave him a look but he ignored it. He hated shopping and if he was gonna do it, then he was gonna complain all he wanted.

"Every one in the store if you don't quit whining," came Raquel's response.

He sighed, leaning his head against the wall. It wasn't exactly a hard day's work watching Raquel try on clothes. Virtually everything looked good on her, he just hated being in department stores. 90 percent of the time they were just too stuffy for him.

"Hey Jeff?"

"Yeah?" he perked up, praying she was about to tell him they could leave.

"I grabbed the wrong size in the pink one…Can you get me another one?"

"What pink one?" he asked. "Didn't you have like four pink ones?"

Raquel let out a frustrated sigh, "_Nevermind_."

After a few seconds, she came out of the dressing room wearing a green dress that he didn't even remember seeing her with. She didn't ask his opinion this time but he quickly decided that this one was his favorite. It had thin, straps and a bow at the bustline. It fit her waist perfectly and then the flowy fabric draped over her hips, stopping just above mid-thigh.

"You didn't show me that one," he pointed out as she walked over to the rack, putting back the pink dress and then flipping through them to find the right size.

She smiled over her shoulder, a smug glint in her green eyes, "You like it?"

Jeff shrugged, "It's not bad."

---------------------

"So we've got plans tonight," Randy said as he and John walked back into the hotel.

"We do?" John looked over at him, confused.

"With Jessica and Nikki," Randy nodded. "Trust me, I'm sure you'll like one of 'em."

"Where are we going?" John asked.

"It's a club called Warehouse," Randy answered. "It's not far from here."

"I don't know man, I think I might just chill here tonight," John said.

"Come on, how are you gonna get over Brianna sitting in your hotel room watching SportsCenter?" Randy asked. "We're going out."


	27. Chapter 27

**So I tried to get this done sooner but then I got really busy...Apologies again,you're still my peeps, right? You know, I should never ever be given anything with caffeine because it makes me crazy. Brief 'Me' Update: The boyfriend is officially the ex and the new guy is looking promising. Also, I'm loving The Killers new album...As for this chapter, I hope you enjoy it. And the next one is going to be very..._interesting_. Read, Enjoy, & Review!**

**Chapter 27...**

9:00 P.M.

"How much did you buy?" Maria laughed, looking through the bags on Raquel's bed.

"As much as Jeff could carry," Raquel walked out of the bathroom in a very short black halter dress. She put her hands on her hips, giving her sister a look, "Why are you still laying there in your sweats?"

"She's still claiming she's not going," Trish said, brushing her hair.

"I'm not," Brianna insisted. "I really don't feel like it. I feel like staying home and watching movies."

"What are we gonna do with her?" Maria asked, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"Bri," Raquel sighed, walking over to the couch. Brianna sat up slowly, looking down at her hands. "I know you're upset about the way John's acting."

Brianna sighed, carefully looking at each nail to avoid making eye contact with anyone.

"But what good does it do to stay at the hotel and mope?" Raquel asked.

Brianna shrugged.

"I think sometimes you forget that you're 22," Raquel put her arm around her. "When was the last time you went out to a club? Just because you wanted to, not for work."

"Not for work?" Brianna thought about it. She shook her head, "I don't remember."

"Exactly," Raquel said. "Now get out of here and go change."

Brianna sighed, standing up, "Fine, fine, I'll go."

"I'll help you pick something out," Maria got up, walking toward the door with her. "Raquel _try_ to be ready soon, we wanna get there before midnight."

"I'm almost ready," Raquel insisted. "I just need to decide on a dress."

---------------------

_11:30_

"So where are these girls?" John asked as he and Randy walked around the club. They'd only gotten there about 15 minutes earlier but he was already getting impatient. He didn't really want to be there so he just wanted to get it over with.

"They'll be here soon," Randy said, looking at his watch. "I talked to Nikki before we left and…_Shit_."

"What?" John raised a brow at Randy's suddenly annoyed expression.

"Nothin man," Randy shook his head.

"No, what?" John asked, curious. Randy nodded at something over John's shoulder and he followed his friend's gaze, trying to figure out what he was looking at. After a few seconds, he saw what had Randy so annoyed.

On the dance floor, not far from them, Brianna was laughing and dancing with Shelton Benjamin. Of course, she looked amazing. She was wearing a very short blue dress and stiletto heels. Her hair was a little straighter than usual, flowing past her shoulders with just the slightest bit of curl. She looked like she was having a great time as Shelton put an arm around her waist, dancing behind her. And to think, he thought she looked kind of upset when he brushed her off earlier. Apparently he was wrong.

"Don't worry about it man," Randy patted him on the shoulder. "It's a big club."

As Randy spoke, Brianna looked in their direction. Her smile fell when she made eye contact with John. She looked surprised, like she'd been caught in the middle of something.

John shook his head, turning back to Randy, "I need a drink. How 'bout you?"

---------------------

Brianna laughed while Shelton showed off his ridiculous dance moves. She was hoping he'd gotten the 'get Brianna out of her funk' memo because if this was really how he danced, he needed some serious help.

"Come on now, you're a pro, I know you can do better than that," he laughed, putting an arm around her waist.

"I'm just tryin' to keep up with you," she laughed, dancing along with him.

"I'm not sure that's possible," Shelton laughed.

Brianna smiled. She was wary on the way to the club but after only being there 20 minutes, she was having a great time.

"Look who it is," Shelton said.

"Who?" Brianna turned to see who Shelton was referring to. She stopped moving when she saw John. He was standing with Randy, looking every bit the gorgeous man he was. And he did _not_ look happy to see her.

_Great, just what I needed to cheer up_

"Maybe you should go talk to him," Shelton suggested.

Brianna shrugged, "I don't know..He looks kind of…"

"Pissed off?" Shelton suggested.

Bri nodded, "Yeah..I think I need a few more drinks before I try that."

"That's probably a good idea," Shelton said. "You go back to the table, I'll get the drinks."

---------------------

"Here you go," Jeff put Raquel's martini down on the table in front of her.

"Thank you," she smiled as he took his seat, handing Matt one of the two beers he was holding.

"Thanks man," Matt downed a fourth of his beer.

"Where'd everybody go?" Jeff looked around at their nearly empty booth.

"To dance," Raquel explained. "I was waiting for my drink."

"What am I? Your slave?" he smirked.

"In a way, yes," she smiled.

He laughed, drinking some of his beer, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. She was wearing the green dress she'd bought earlier, her brown hair curled loosely. She smiled when she caught him looking and he quickly looked away. He didn't need her making fun of him for staring.

She stood up slowly, taking a sip of her drink and then putting it down, "I'll be right back."

---------------------

Raquel tried to keep the cheesy grin off of her face as she walked toward the bathroom to check her makeup. Jeff was checking her out. He tried to hide it but he was definitely checking her out. Why that made her happy, she wasn't sure, but she shrugged it off, deciding to chalk it up to her ego. She just liked being checked out in general. By attractive men. And they didn't get much more attractive than Jeff.

"Excuse me?"

She turned when she heard a deep voice behind her. This time she allowed the smile to touch her lips. He wasn't Jeff but he was damn close. He was tall and lean with short blonde hair and gorgeous, dark blue eyes. He wore jeans and a button down shirt and when he reached out his hand, she noticed a very expensive looking watch on his wrist.

"I'm Justin," he smiled.

"Raquel," she took his hand, shaking it lightly.

"That's a beautiful name," he said.

"I like to think so," she smiled.

"Sorry to interrupt you. I noticed you earlier but I wasn't sure if one of the guys you were with was your boyfriend," he said.

"What makes you think they're not?" she arched a brow.

"They still could be," he smirked. "But now that I've got you away from them I don't have to worry about them trying to beat me up…_Is_ one of them your boyfriend?"

"Not last I checked," she smiled.

"Good," he smiled back. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She looked back to her table where Matt and Jeff were staring at them expectantly.

She laughed, "I think I should get back. They're getting restless over there. But maybe later."

He smiled, "I'll hold you to that."

She laughed, turning to walk away, deciding against going to check her makeup. She was obviously looking just fine.

---------------------

_½ Hour Later…_

"Okay," Brianna finished her fourth drink, putting her glass down on the table. "Now I can go talk to John."

"Because you're drunk?" Matt asked.

"After four mixed drinks?" Brianna smirked. "I'm not a lightweight hun."

Matt laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm not drunk, I'm just buzzed enough to handle a little rejection," she stood up, running a hand through her hair.

"Don't expect the worse Bri," Jeff advised.

"Thanks Jeff," she patted him on the shoulder before walking away.

Maria got up, "I'm gonna go spy."

"Maria!" Trish laughed.

"What?" Maria shrugged. "Like you don't want to."

---------------------

Raquel watched as Brianna walked away with Maria not far behind her. She wanted to snoop too but she knew if her sister caught her should would be pissed. She was worried though.

"Stop worrying," Jeff nudged her.

Raquel looked over at him, surprised that he'd read her so easily.

She arched a brow, "Why would I be worrying?"

"Because you don't like seeing your sister all confused and upset like this," he said. "And you think John might upset her more."

She sighed, not bothering to pretend he was incorrect, "If he does..will you beat him up for me?"

"No," Jeff shook his head. "Have a talk with him, maybe, but I'm not gonna beat him up."

"Then what good are you?" she asked.

"See, before you said that, I was gonna go get you another drink," he stood up. "But now, you're on your own toots."

"Oh come on," she smiled. "You know I didn't mean that."

Jeff laughed, "Sure you didn't."

---------------------

John finished his drink and looked around, wondering where the hell Randy went this time. He kept having to go outside to give directions to the chicks he invited. He shook his head, if their ability to understand those was any indication, it was gonna be an even longer night than he thought. He really should have just stayed at the hotel. All he was doing was knocking back drinks and trying not to look at Brianna. The last time he allowed himself a glance, she was sitting between Matt and Maria looking miserable. She'd looked so happy dancing with Shelton before she knew John was there but apparently he'd ruined her night. He wanted to be okay with that because he was mad at her but he couldn't. He didn't like her being unhappy, even if he was pissed. Damn woman.

_When did I turn into such a pussy?_

He shook his head, remembering what Randy said about love making a person look like an idiot. For once, his jaded friend was right. It was time to toughen up when it came to Brianna. His feelings weren't her number one concern, so hers didn't need to matter to him.

"John."

He jumped, jarred from his thoughts by the sound of his name. He wasn't sure where it was coming from, it was hard to tell because the music was so loud.

"John!"

He sighed when he heard her voice. It sounded like she was a few feet behind him. He sighed and, knowing he couldn't just ignore her, turned to face her, "Yeah?"

---------------------

Brianna was surprised by the look on John's face when he turned around. He looked so…annoyed. She wasn't used to that from him. Earlier, she figured if she gave him a little while he would relax but apparently she was wrong. And now she wasn't so sure talking to him was a good idea.

_Don't wimp out Bri…just say what you need to say_

She took a deep breath, "Can we talk for a minute?"

"What do we need to talk about?" he asked, looking at her so coldly she almost turned and ran away. He really wasn't going to make this easy on her, was he?

"Um.." she wrung her hands. She was nervous because she really wanted, needed him to understand how she felt. She needed to make it clear to him that she didn't mean to hurt him with what she said before. That was the last thing she wanted.

"Listen, I know you're mad at me," she said. His jaw clenched but he didn't interrupt.

"And you have every right to be but..I just-"

"John! Where the hell have you been?"

Brianna looked over her shoulder, rolling her eyes when she saw a slightly drunk Randy Orton flanked by two blondes.

Randy smiled at her, "Hey Bri..Didn't know you were here."

"Hi Randy," she crossed her arms over her chest.

One of the blondes nudged Randy and he smiled, "John, Brianna, this is Jessica and Nikki. Ladies-"

"_John Cena_," the taller blonde, Nikki, bumped Brianna's shoulder as she walked over to John, smiling. "It's so nice to meet you."

Brianna looked at John, obviously wanting to continue their conversation..in private.

He shrugged, putting an arm over Nikki's shoulders, "We're gonna have to talk later Bri."

With that, he walked off with Randy and the girls. Nikki looked over her shoulder, winking at her.

---------------------

Maria felt horrible when John and Randy walked off with their little skank friends. She was tempted to start something but she wanted to check on Bri first. She was leaning against the bar looking lost and defeated. Maria walked over and hugged her without saying a word. Brianna leaned her head on her shoulder and they stood there for a few seconds.

"Want me to go kick his ass?" Maria offered.

Brianna laughed a little, shaking her head, "No..that wont help. But thanks."

They released their hug and Maria could see that Brianna's eyes looked a little misty.

"I'm really sorry Bri," Maria hugged her again, quickly this time.

Brianna shrugged, "It's not your fault. Let's just go back to the table."

---------------------

Raquel laughed as Jeff and Matt argued over who was the cuter kid. Everyone's laughter stopped though, when Brianna and Maria returned to the table. Maria was holding Bri's hand and Brianna had the look on her face that she always got when she was trying to hard to look like she was okay. It was a smile but an uncomfortable one.

"What happened?" Raquel asked immediately.

"Nothing," Brianna said as she and Maria took their seats.

"Nothing?" Maria questioned. "He was such a jerk."

"What did he do?" Raquel asked.

"Nothing," Brianna shook her head.

"Randy came up with two random chicks and John walked off with them. And the way he was look-"

"Maria," Brianna looked over at her.

"Sorry," Maria looked guilty. She put an arm around her, giving her a half hug.

"Alright that's it," Raquel stood up. "I'm going to talk to him."

"Raquel, it's really not a big-"

Raquel gave her sister a look and Brianna sighed, "Fine, whatever."

Without another word to any of them, Raquel walked away, looking around for John and Randy. Just her luck, they were filing into a booth just a few tables away from everyone else. She stormed over, stopping in front of the table, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hey Rocky," Randy smiled.

Raquel completely ignored her friend, glaring at John.

"What?" he asked, his arm around some ugly blonde.

"I need to talk to you," she said.

"He's busy," the blonde giggled, scooting closer to him.

"Somehow I don't think it'll be that hard for him to tear himself away from all the ugly at this table," Raquel smirked, looking at both women.

They looked offended but John stood up quickly, taking her hand and pulling her away before a fight started.

"What is your problem?" he asked. "You don't even know them."

"I didn't say anything about their character," Raquel shrugged.

John rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of character, when did you turn into such an _asshole_?" she asked.

"What?" he stared.

"You heard me," she pointed. "Bri was trying to _apologize_ to you John, what is your problem?"

"My problem?" John asked. "She's the one messin' with my head."

"She's not _trying_ to John," Raquel insisted. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I cant completely blame her for not dropping Nick in two seconds just to be with you."

"Why not?" John asked. "You've been trying to push us together for months now."

"Maybe she's confused because being with you isn't exactly a sure thing," Raquel shrugged.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"She thought things were perfect before John, then you _cheated_ on her," she reminded him, pleased with the stricken look on his face. If he was going to play high and mighty, she was going to bring him back to Earth.

"I thought you didn't know about that," he said.

"She never told me but of course I knew," Raquel rolled her eyes. "_Distance_ would never have made her leave you. I knew her story about the move to LA being too much was bullshit. She could've been across the world and she would still have wanted to be with you."

John looked guilty, "So you just figured it out?"

Raquel nodded, "It wasn't hard. That's the only thing I could think of that would make her break up with you."

He nodded.

"But I gave you a chance when I saw you again because I know that people make mistakes," she said. "And as much as I wanted to kick your ass for hurting my sister, I knew you loved her and I knew she loved you and I knew that even after all this time apart, there would be something there."

Raquel hated sounding like a hopeless romantic because she wasn't but it was true.

"Do you know how amazing it is that she even speaks to you after what you did?" she asked. "If someone cheated on me, they would be gone, no matter how much I loved them."

John was silent, not meeting Raquel's gaze.

Raquel shook her head, "It's interesting to me that she was willing to forgive that but she says something you don't like and you act like she no longer deserves to be in your presence. Real nice John."

Raquel turned, knowing that John felt truly terrible. He deserved it. She smiled, heading toward the bar to get a drink before going back to the booth with her friends.

She smiled at the bartender, ordering a lemon drop martini. He got it ready quickly and brought it to her.

"This should cover her next few."

Raquel saw a masculine hand slide a hundred dollar bill toward the bartender. She turned, smiling when she saw Justin.

"I think this obligates you to have a couple drinks with me, doesn't it?" he smirked.

"You think you can buy some time with me?" she smirked.

"I was hoping it would work just this once," he shrugged.

She smiled, picking up her martini, "I suppose we could talk for a little while."

He smiled, taking her free hand and leading her away from the bar, "Good."

---------------------

_2:OO A.M._

Raquel waved lightly as Justin went to the bathroom. He seemed like a nice guy. She couldn't say she was terribly interested but he was fun to talk to. And he was definitely keeping the drinks coming. She wasn't completely drunk yet but she was definitely getting there. She could tell when she was talking to Justin that her words were slurring a tiny bit. She didn't think she'd had _that_ much but she'd probably just lost track. After a few minutes, Justin returned, two drinks in hand.

"I figured I'd grab a couple drinks on the way back," he set hers down in front of her.

"Thank you," she smiled. She felt her eyes go a little wide when she looked at him. She'd never noticed what a _gorgeous_ color blue his shirt was.

---------------------

Brianna didn't bother to hide the fact that she was staring at John and Randy's table. Nikki was practically sitting on his lap, cackling like a hyena at every word he said. In Bri's opinion, he didn't look like he was having that great of a time but that was probably just her imagination. Why wouldn't he be having fun? He'd successfully fucked up her night and now he had Nikki doing everything but shoving her breasts in his face. Shelton needed to come back with her drink soon.

She sighed, looking over at Jeff. He'd been a little quiet for the last 10 minutes or so. And his gaze was fixed on the reason why. All the way across the club, Raquel was sitting with some blonde guy. She had been for quite some time. She had her drink in one hand and the other hand on his arm and she was laughing. She looked like she was having a great time. And Jeff was starting to look miserable.

"Should we go get her?" she asked, feeling bad for him.

"Go get who?" Jeff turned to her, obviously trying to seem unaffected.

"Raquel," she answered. "You've been looking over there since she left."

"No I haven't," Jeff insisted. "I've been talking to you."

"Talking to me and looking over there," Brianna said. "You know, it's okay to admit you like her."

"I don't," Jeff responded quickly. "I mean, I like her as a friend, but that's it."

She eyed him suspiciously and he met her gaze with a straight face.

"I don't believe you," she informed him.

"I don't see why not," Jeff said. "Raquel's my friend, that's all."

"Mmhmm," Brianna rolled her eyes.

"Are you just focusing on this to keep from focusing on John?" he asked.

"Probably, yes," she nodded.

"Come on," Jeff stood up. "Let's go dance."

She shrugged, following him, "Why not?"

---------------------

_**P.S. As always, big hugs for the reviews! You're all awesome!**_


	28. Chapter 28

**Sorry for no Sunday update, things have been hectic. Not a whole lot to say today, things are kinda crap right now but hey...I'm updating so at least my brain's still working, right? Fair warning, this next chapter contains a little violence...Read & Review peeps!**

**Chapter 28...**

_2:30 A.M._

"What's the matter?" Nikki nuzzled the side of John's neck. "You got all quiet all of a sudden."

"Nothing," he said, moving away. "I'm fine."

"Do you still wanna go back to the hotel later?" she smiled excitedly.

John forgot he made that suggestion earlier. That was before his talk with Raquel.

"I don't think so," he shook his head, finishing his drink.

"Why not?" she pouted. She scooted closer to him, her hand on his thigh, "I promise you'll have a good time. I can make sure you forget all about whatever's bothering you."

"Actually," John moved her hand. "I don't think you can."

She looked offended.

"Listen, I don't wanna be mean or anything but..I just..I'm not interested in the same thing you seem to be interested in. Not tonight."

"I can change that," she smiled.

"No," he got up, growing frustrated. "You cant."

He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and tossed some money on the table, "Tell Randy I'm going back to the hotel."

---------------------

"I think I'm drunk," Brianna stared through her empty glass, hear head down on the table.

"Yeah, I think you are too," Jeff patted the top of her head. He was feeling quite the buzz himself but he hadn't had as much as her.

"That last autograph I signed," Brianna laughed. "I don't think I signed my name."

"Well, as long as they got a picture, I think they'll be okay," he shrugged.

"Tha's a good point," she slurred a little. "I'm gonna go splash some water on my face."

She got up, stumbling a little and Jeff grabbed her arm to steady her. After a second, she gave him a nod to let him know she was okay and he let her go. Once she walked away, he looked around. He'd been trying to keep an eye on Raquel while at the same time be a shoulder for Brianna. He hadn't seen Raquel in a few minutes. Almost as if he'd conjured her up with his thoughts, she appeared, walking rather unsteadily toward him. He walked toward her, yelling to be heard over the loud music, "Are you okay?!"

"What?!" she yelled back.

He took her wrist, gently leading her closer to the table where they could hear better, "I said are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she pulled out of his grasp. "Why?"

"Because you cant walk straight," he said, concerned.

She said something that Jeff couldn't make out. It didn't make any sense.

"What?" he stared.

"I said I can walk jus ine," she said, staring at him as if he was the one being unclear.

"You can walk _just fine_?" he asked.

She nodded, looking annoyed.

"I don't think so," he shook his head. "I think maybe you've had enough. We should get back to the hotel."

He tried to take her hand but she yanked it away, "No!"

"Raquel what is wrong wi-"

"I don't need you in my face _Jeff_," she slurred, her gaze not quite focused on him. "Mind your own _damn business_. I'm fine."

"What?" he stared at her, trying to figure out where the hell this hostility was coming from. "You're not fine."

"Shut up," she pointed, her finger right in his face.

He was tempted to slap it away but he tried to remind himself that she was drunk and it was the liquor talking

"You need to sober up," he said.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "You're just trying to ruin my night because you're jealous."

"Jealous of _what_?" he stared, beginning to get angry. "You're not making any god damn sense!"

"You're pissed because I was hanging out with somebody else," she accused. She was trying for an amused smirk but she just looked wasted. He was doing everything he could to maintain his cool but she was trying his patience. All he was doing was trying to help her.

"Look Jeff, just because I've been nice to you lately, doesn't mean I like you," she laughed. "You don't even have a chance with me. I think we both know you got lucky once but it's never gonna happen again…so you should really just give it up."

That was it. He shook his head, turning and walking away. If she was going to be a crazy drunk bitch, she could take care of herself.

---------------------

Brianna was on her way back from the bathroom when she heard Jeff and Raquel arguing. She knew she'd had a lot to drink but she was nowhere near as gone as her sister. She'd been a royal bitch to Jeff.

Brianna sighed, walking over to Raquel, "What was that?"

"What?" Raquel looked annoyed.

Brianna shook her head, she wasn't about to be verbally abused like Jeff. She'd talk to her sister when she was sober. She stumbled a little but managed to regain her footing as she walked toward Jeff.

"Hey!" she tapped his shoulder when she found him at the bar.

"What?" he turned angrily. He softened a little when he saw her.

"Jeff, she's drunk," she said. "Don't be mad, she doesn't know what she's saying."

"I don't care what she's saying," Jeff shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"Obviously it did if you walked off like that," she said.

"I walked off because I didn't want to talk anymore," he shrugged. "Not because she hurt my feelings."

"I just don't want you to hold this against her," she said.

"Brianna, I don't care," he insisted. "It's nothing. Let's just talk about something else."

"Okay," she shrugged, deciding to let it go.

"Okay."

---------------------

Raquel walked back to the table she was sitting at with Dustin, trying to keep her balance. She was beginning to feel a little sick. Actually, she was feeling really sick. She was slightly nauseous and, unless she was imagining it, she was getting a little short of breath. It was definitely time to stop drinking. Justin stood, smiling when he saw her.

"Why don't we go out and get some air?" he suggested.

She nodded, figuring it might help. Justin took her hand and they walked through the club toward the door. The bass from the music was pounding through Raquel's body and she had to look down at her feet because when she looked up, it felt like everyone was coming at her. Everything was so bright her eyes hurt. She was grateful when they finally reached the door. Justin held it open for her and she walked out, right into a cold breeze. She couldn't tell if it helped her or made her feel even worse. She felt all the liquor in her stomach threatening to reappear and she put a hand over her mouth, leaning over.

Justin lightly rubbed her back, "Are you okay?"

She took a deep breath and straightened up, nodding, "Yeah, I think so."

"Do you want me to take you back to the hotel?" he said, tucking her hair behind her ear and touching the side of her neck. She was surprised that he would touch her like that when she was ready to throw up. Something about it was just..creepy.

"No, thanks," she shook her head. "I have to leave with my friends."

"Not necessarily," he said. "Did you drive?"

"No," she answered, feeling another wave of nausea.

"See, you can go with me then," he said. "Come on."

He gently took her wrist, trying to lead her toward his car.

"I really don't think so," Raquel said, trying to plant her feet to keep from being pulled. It was difficult though since she could barely feel them touching the ground.

Justin's kind gaze hardened, "Come on Raquel."

"No," she tried to pull away, growing frightened. She was in no condition to fight this guy off. "Justin we need to go back inside."

"I don't think so," he tightened his grip on her wrist, twisting it. Her mind told her mouth to scream but before she could, he yanked her against him, clamping his hand over her mouth, "What's the matter baby? I thought you wanted to have some fun with me."

Raquel could feel her heart beating through her chest and she struggled to get out of his grasp but he was way too strong for her. She screamed but his hand muffled the sound. She scratched at his hands and arms but it didn't seem to bother him. He started to drag her but her vision was so blurred that she couldn't see where they were going, not to mention they were filling with tears. She could barely breathe. She screamed again, hoping, praying that someone would hear her.

"There's no point," he said, his lips against her ear. "Even if I move my hand, nobody can hear you all the way in there."

She cried, her chest heaving as she tried to figure out what to do. But after all the drinks, she couldn't think straight. Her head was pounding, and all her mind could manage to focus on was her fear. She heard what sounded like a car door opening and then his hand was gone. She gasped for air, trying desperately to fill her lungs. Then, she felt a fist clench in her hair and without thinking, she screamed so loud her throat hurt. Justin jerked her roughly and she felt a pain in her neck as he tried to push her into the backseat of a dark blue SUV. She pressed her foot against the frame, trying to keep from being forced in. She took a deep breath and screamed again but this time Justin gave her a hard shove and she tumbled into the backseat. She turned over kicking wildly. She felt her bare foot connect with his shoulder but he didn't seem terribly affected. She wasn't about to give up though. She screamed, kicking at him again as he tried to climb in on top of her. He avoided most of her blows but she kept trying and kept screaming. Her throat was raw and she was started to feel even more dizzy but she couldn't stop.

"Get off of me!" she screamed, roughly pushing at his chest.

"Shut up!" he ordered, slapping her across the face.

Raquel felt blood begin to fill her mouth and she started to cough. Once again, he tried to get on top of her. She slapped, scratched, punched, whatever her hands and arms could manage but he didn't stop. She felt so sick and dizzy and she could tell that her movements were beginning to slow down. She could hear her breathing getting faster and faster and she just prayed she didn't lose consciousness. She couldn't stop him passed out. Her arms started to feel ten times heavier but she kept clawing at him. He cried out and to her surprise, when she tried to focus on his face, she could see three streaks of red across his cheek.

Before she could do anything else, she felt his hand clamp around her throat. She could vaguely hear her own strangled cries as she watched him reaching for something in the pocket on the back of the passenger seat. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp but it was no use. She could barely see through her tears but she caught a glimpse of something silver as he finally found what he was looking for in the pocket.

"You see this?" he held it in her face.

She dug her nails into the hand around her throat, still trying to move but feeling as if everything was going in slow motion.

"You keep fighting me and I'm gonna have to use it," he said, resting the object against her face. She couldn't see it but she could feel the cold steel of the knife against her cheek. She closed her eyes, feeling tears escape under her lids and roll onto her cheek, then over the knife blade. She wasn't going to get out of this alive.

---------------------

Jeff looked around at their booth. Andrew, Matt, and Trish were having some sort of debate about Canada. Maria was trying to talk to Brianna but Bri's focus seemed to be on the drink in her hand. He couldn't blame her, it hadn't been the best night for her. Hell, the night hadn't been that great for anyone. He thought back to his last 'conversation' with Raquel and frowned. He hadn't seen her in a while.

"Hey, where's Raquel?" he asked no one in particular.

"Should you be looking after the way she bit your head off earlier?" Andrew laughed.

"Shut up," Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Don't listen to him Jeff," Maria advised. "He's just pissed because some chick wouldn't give him her number."

"You got shot down?" Matt laughed.

"I did not get shut down," Andrew insisted.

Jeff tuned out the rest of the conversation, looking around. He didn't see her anywhere.

"I need to go get some air," Brianna said, though her speech was marred by all the alcohol.

Jeff slid out of the booth so she could get out. She stumbled and had to hold on to the table.

"You shouldn't be out there by yourself," he said. "I'll go with you."

"The more the merrier," Brianna shrugged, running a hand through her hair as they walked toward the door. Jeff walked in front of her, weaving through the crowds and checking over his shoulder to make sure she was okay. At the same time, he was looking around for Raquel. Where the hell could she be?

When they finally reached the door, he held it open for Brianna.

"Oh that's so much better," she said as the breeze hit them. It wasn't cold but it was cool enough to have a slightly sobering effect. Just slightly.

They were walking toward the parking lot when Jeff felt something catch his foot.

"Now who's drunk?" Brianna laughed as he stumbled.

"It's not my fault," he said. "I tripped."

"On what?" she asked.

They both looked down and Jeff felt his stomach knot up when he saw the small black purse on the ground near his feet.

"That's not…" Brianna shook her head, kneeling down to pick it up. She opened it quickly then looked back up at Jeff, "It's Raquel's."

Jeff was about to tell her not to panic when they both heard a piercing scream.

Jeff felt his heart start pounding and he pulled Brianna up, running toward the sound. On the way there, he saw a small, strappy shoe that he could swear belonged to Raquel.

They heard the scream again and both of them started running faster. Brianna's heel broke but she kept going, running slightly faster than Jeff. They rounded a corner and there, in the alley between Warehouse and another club, they spotted a dark SUV. Jeff could see Raquel's legs barely moving and another pair of legs between them. That was enough for him. He raced toward the car and grabbed the guy's shirt, yanking him off of Raquel, slamming him back against the side of the building. Blind rage took over and he swung, his fist slamming into the other man's face. Before he could punch him again, Jeff felt a hot, sharp pain go down his arm. He looked down to see the man pulling a knife away from him. He ran at the other man, grabbing his wrist and slamming it against the brick wall until he dropped the knife. Then, he punched him in the face again. And again, and again. He wasn't sure when enough would be enough but that time certainly hadn't come yet. He could see blood beginning to cover his fists but he didn't care. The guy was still conscious and that was a problem. The bloodied stranger managed to land a lucky punch to the side of Jeff's head. Jeff fell to the side, his vision fading for a few seconds. He shook his head and just when his sight returned, he saw the guy running away.

"Son of a bitch!" he yelled, running after him.

"Jeff!" he heard Brianna yell after him. He didn't want to stop but something in her voice made him. He turned to see her climbing out of the SUV and trying to get an unconscious Raquel's arm over her shoulders, "We need to get her to the hospital."

---------------------


	29. Chapter 29

**_My Peeps!!_...if I can still call you that...I am very, very, very, very, _very _sorry that it has taken so long for me to update this story. It wasn't that I had writers block or anything, it was a serious overflow of BS, crying, and drama in my life. But now the people who were bringing the drama are gone and I'm back to being me, and writing when I get a chance. I promise, promise that things are back to normal I will be updating regularly once again. Big hugs for being patient with me, Hope you still love the story, because it loves you..Read, Enjoy, & Review!!!!**

**_SIDE NOTE_: In addition to Lovesick (which I will also be updating in the next few days) and First, Last, & Only, I am considering posting other stories that I have written or that I'm in the process of writing but I'd like some opinions first. If you're interested in helping me out, send me a message and leave an email address and I'll send you some story outlines or a few chapters or both, whatever you want. Your assistance is _greatly _appreciated, thanks in advance!!**

**Chapter 29...**

Jeff sat next to Brianna, holding a towel over his arm. The towel had been white when one of the EMT's gave it to him. Now, it was bright red except for the very edges. He knew he needed stitches but he'd refused numerous offers for treatment. He didn't want to leave the waiting room until they got some word on Raquel. She'd finally been admitted and placed in a room but no one was really telling them anything. A police officer was asking Brianna questions. He couldn't count how many times they'd given their account of the night's events since the ambulance arrived at the club. Brianna's eyes darted away from the officer every time a nurse or a doctor walked by.

"Ms. Kavner, I really need you to focus," the officer said, sounding impatient.

"Forgive me," Brianna fixed an icy gaze on him. "I was slightly distracted by the hope that _someone _here can tell me what's going on with my sister…You know, the one who was attacked."

The young officer took a deep breath, obviously displeased with his assignment, "Think back…do you remember what kind of truck it was?"

"I told you," Brianna used a shaky hand to scratch the top of her head. "It was a dark blue SUV."

"I need you to be more specific," the officer urged.

"You know, somehow when I heard my sister screaming and saw some psycho on top of her, I didn't think to write down the make and model," Brianna snipped.

Officer Randall sighed again, "What did the perp look like?"

"How many times are you people gonna ask us the same questions?" Jeff asked, irritated. "Shouldn't you be out trying to find this guy?"

"We _are_ trying to find him," the officer insisted. "And the easiest way for us to do that is to find out whatever we can from you while it's still fresh in your mind."

"We've told you everything we know _more_ than once," Jeff said.

Officer Randall was beginning to look angry but Jeff didn't care. He needed to go out and do his damn job.

"Ms. Kavner?"

Both Jeff and Brianna's heads turned when they heard the voice. A middle aged man in a lab coat came toward them.

"How's my sister?" Brianna stood up, anxious.

The doctor took a deep breath, "Ms. Davenport ingested an _extremely_ high dose of gamma-hydroxybutyrate."

"Wait…" Brianna frowned, confused. "GHB?"

"The assailant must have been slipping your sister a liquefied form of the date rape drug," the doctor nodded. "From the amount in her system, I'd say she was ingesting it all night."

The color drained from Brianna's face and a nauseous feeling started in Jeff's stomach.

"T-too much of that can kill you, right?" Brianna shakily rubbed her forehead, tears were beginning to fill her eyes again.

"A high enough dose can, yes, especially when mixed with alcohol," the doctor nodded. "But you got Ms. Davenport here in time."

"So then she's okay?" Brianna asked, perking up slightly.

"The GHB caused hypoventilation, which is basically respiratory depression. It's very difficult for her to breathe on her own," the doctor explained. "And due to the respiratory depression, Ms. Davenport has developed hypercapnia, an abnormally high concentration of carbon dioxide in her system. Right now we're working on her breathing as well as bringing down her blood pressure."

Brianna nodded, now chewing on her thumbnail.

Jeff put his good arm around her shoulders. She was obviously scared. Hell, he was scared.

"We'll keep you updated," the doctor said.

"Thanks," Jeff said before the older man walked away.

When the doctor left, Officer Randall stood up but before he could take a step toward them, Jeff gave him a warning look and he sat back down.

Brianna sniffed, wiping her thumbs under her eyes.

"She's gonna be okay," he assured her, pulling her into a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder but jumped when she felt her skin come into contact with his towel.

"Oh my God," she stared at it. "Jeff you have to let them stitch you up."

Jeff looked down at the gash on his arm and almost winced himself.

"Seriously, now," she gave him a stern look.

"She's right dear," an older nurse walked up to them, You're loosing a lot of blood. Just let us get you cleaned up, we'll make sure you know of any new developments with your friend."

Brianna nodded at him and he sighed, "Fine, stitch it up..but I'm not going to an exam room..you do it here."

"In the middle of the waiting room?" the nurse stared.

"It's that or nothing," Jeff shrugged.

She sighed, "Alright dear, if that's how you want it."

---------------------

20 Minutes Later…

John stepped off the elevator and walked quickly in the direction the security guard had given him. This night definitely hadn't gone the way he expected. He figured he'd get a little drunk and turn down whatever chick Randy was trying to hook him up with, and that much had happened, but he hadn't expected to spend close to an hour stuck in the club while the police questioned everyone about an attack. He didn't find out until they finally questioned him and Randy that it was Raquel who had been attacked and Jeff and Brianna were at the hospital with her. His first reaction was to find the guy and kill him but he knew that wasn't possible. After the anger began to subside, he realized that he needed to get to the hospital. He needed to be there for his friend..and for Brianna.

When he made it to the waiting room, he spotted Brianna, pacing back and forth. She looked cold, her arms were wrapped around herself and her hair was a mess. Her makeup was smudged around her eyes.

"Brianna!" he called out to her.

She stopped walking, turning to face him.

"How's Raquel?"

"She's got GHB poisoning," Brianna sniffed. "The doctor said he must have been slipping it to her all night. He said we got her here in time but.."

Brianna sniffed, looking away, her eyes filling with tears.

"But what?" John asked, anxious.

"She's not breathing on her own," she informed him. "And they're having trouble keeping her blood pressure down and..she was all bruised up and bloody.."

Her tears ran down her cheeks and her lips quivered. She shook her head, looking away again.

John ran a hand over his hair, closing his eyes. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"I'm sorry it took so long to get here," he said, running his hand over his face. "The cops were questioning everybody at the club. Everyone else is coming."

"Did they find out anything?" she asked anxiously. "Do they know who this guy is?"

"I don't know," John admitted. "I don't think so."

"Why is this happening?" Brianna shook her head.

John didn't know what to say. He was shaken after _hearing_ what happened to his friend, he could only imagine what it was like for Jeff and Brianna to actually _see_ it.

"I just keep hearing her _screaming_," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I should have gotten there sooner..I was _right there_ I should have been able to stop this."

"It's not your fault," he said sternly.

She looked up at him, "She could die."

John completely forgot all the tension that was surrounding them earlier that night and pulled her into his arms as sobs began to wrack her body.

"She is not gonna die," he assured her. "You got her here in time. The doctors are gonna help her. They know what they're doing."

She cried for a while longer and he held her tighter, nodding at Jeff as he returned to the waiting room and sat down. Brianna quieted down and John pulled away, looking down at her. He frowned when he spotted blood staining her cheek. After further inspection, he saw that it was all over her dress as well, "What happened to you?"

"It's mostly Jeff's," she explained. "The guy he..he cut his arm."

John looked over at Jeff and saw a bandage covering almost his entire arm. He also had a splint on one of his fingers.

John looked at Brianna again and noticed for the first time that she wasn't wearing shoes.

"Bri, what are you doing walking barefoot in a hospital?" he asked.

She looked confused for a second and then looked down at her feet.

"Oh," she shook her head. "My shoe broke when we were running in the parking lot."

"Excuse me," John stopped a nurse that was walking by. He flashed her a smile, "Is there any way that you could get her some shoes?"

"I'm not sure if I've got anything to go with your dress," the nurse joked.

"Anything you have is fine," John said. "I just don't want her stepping on any needles or anything like that."

"Sure thing sir," the nurse smiled before rushing off.

"I'm not three years old John," she said.

"I'm aware of that," John said. "I'm just trying to look out for you, okay?"

She sighed, nodding and rubbing her temples. He put his arm around her waist, guiding her toward the row of chairs where Jeff was seated.

John heard voices around the corner and he and Brianna both turned in time to see quite a few of their friends coming toward them. Maria and Trish rushed to Brianna, nearly knocking John out of the way as they wrapped their arms around her.

Jeff stood up, filling everyone in on Raquel's condition as Maria and Trish sat down with Brianna.

"Sir."

John turned to see the nurse he'd asked to get shoes for Brianna. She was holding gym shoes and a pair of hospital scrubs.

"Thank you," he said as she handed them to him.

"No problem," she said before walking away.

---------------------

_40 Minutes Later…_

Jeff looked around the waiting room at his friends. Matt was sitting to his left, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. Brianna was to his right, wearing the scrubs the nurse gave her. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms around her legs, her forehead resting on her knee. She hadn't said a word in about 15 minutes, right around the time when the doctors had moved Raquel to a room. John sat beside her looking tired and worried, his hand rubbing a circular pattern on Brianna's back. Maria, Trish, Andrew, and Randy occupied the chairs across from them, all of them looking anxious. Trish had tears in her eyes but she was obviously trying to look strong. Randy was rapidly tapping his thumb on his knee. Maria .The rest of Raquel's visitors were strewn throughout the waiting room. Some were on cell phones. Some were having hushed conversations in the corners. Jeff got up, his eyes fixed on the window beside the door of Raquel's private room. One of the doctors had left the blinds open and for the first time since they got there, he was able to see Raquel. She looked so…broken. Almost every inch of skin he could see was bruised. Her face, neck, arms, everything. Her lip was split and he normally silky dark hair was matted around her head on the pillow. Her chest wasn't moving at all but he could see on the monitor beside her bed that she was breathing. The doctors had let them know a few minutes earlier that she was finally able to breathe on her own. She wasn't completely out of the woods but she was definitely better than she was earlier. Jeff couldn't help but feel guilty. He could have done something. He could have stopped it sooner. He could have killed that guy for what he did to Raquel. But what did he do? Nothing.

"Ms. Kavner?"

Jeff turned around to see a doctor step into the waiting room.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" he asked.

Brianna nodded, "Of course."

Brianna got up, taking John's hand. John got up, walking behind her. Jeff felt a little nervous, wondering what the doctor wanted to tell Brianna. As she walked past, she touched his hand, giving him silent permission to join them. They walked down the hall, past two or three doors and then the doctor turned and faced them.

"As you know, Ms. Davenport is breathing on her own," he said. "We were finally able to bring her blood pressure down and she's stable."

Brianna exhaled the breath she'd been holding and John rubbed her back.

"How long should it take her to wake up?" John asked.

"We're not _exactly_ sure how long, it could be 15 minutes, it could be a few hours," the doctor explained. "What I can tell you is that when Raquel does wake up she will be very dizzy, nauseous, and confused…I suggest that someone be in the room with her when she regains consciousness. After such a traumatic event, it would be detrimental to her to wake up in a hospital alone or with complete strangers."

---------------------

"I'll stay with her," Brianna nodded.

"Sounds good," Dr. Jefferson gave them all a reassuring smile before walking away.

"I'm gonna go tell everybody what's going on," Jeff said.

"Thanks Jeff," Brianna smiled. Then, she remembered her family in LA. "Shit."

"What?" John looked concerned.

"Gia and Frank," Brianna rubbed her forehead. "I've been so caught up I-"

"Brian already handled that," John cut her off.

"What?"

"I almost forgot to tell you. Brian came up about 20 minutes ago to let me know he called Gia and Gia got in touch with your dad while Brian called the airline, they should be on a plane within an hour," John explained.

Brianna felt tears spring to her eyes again. She wasn't even sure why this time, maybe her eyes were just used to being full after the past few hours of bawling.

"Listen, Bri, I wanted to talk to you about the way I acted earlier," John took her hand.

Brianna shook her head, "Not now."

---------------------


	30. Chapter 30

**Once again, I apologize to all of my peeps for the lack of updates. Holiday season was a crazy time, I barely had time to sleep, let alone write. But I'm back and feeling very inspired. I'll be updating this, Lovesick, and at the request of some very sweet people, I will be adding a couple of other stories that are already in progress. As always, Read, Enjoy, & Please Review. Big Hugs to you all!!!!**

**My New Year's Resolution: Less Drama in My Life, More Drama In My Stories...**

**Chapter 30...**

_10:00 A.M._

"So do they know anything new?"

Jeff asked as Gia walked away from the police offer. He'd just come in to give her an update.

"They said that the car couldn't have belonged to the assailant," Gia said, wiping her thumb under her eyes. Brian got up from his seat and put an arm around her shoulders.

"How do they know that?" Jeff asked.

"It belongs to one of the bartenders," Gia explained. "And he said a lot of people know he parks his car there."

"Well that's just fucking great," Jeff ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Did they tell you anything that might actually be useful?"

Gia shook her head, sniffing and Brian pulled her into a hug.

"Come here," Trish stood up, grabbing Jeff's good arm and guiding him toward the corner of the waiting area. She sighed, looking up at her friend. He looked tired. They were all tired. No one had slept. They were all waiting for word on Raquel.

"What?" he looked down at her.

"Lay off," Trish pointed.

"What?" he looked confused.

"Gia is upset, her sister is in there," Trish reminded him. "She doesn't need you taking out your frustrations on her."

"I wasn't," Jeff insisted.

"Yeah but you were getting dangerously close," Trish said. "We're all worried. We're all tired. We're _all_ in this. Understand?"

Jeff nodded, "Yeah, I understand."

---------------------

Brianna watched the door sleepily as the nurse walked out after checking Raquel's vitals. Her sister still hadn't woken up and though the doctors were being careful not to seem worried, Brianna couldn't help but notice the nurses were coming to check on her more and more frequently.

Brianna rested her forehead on the bed. She was so tired but she couldn't go to sleep. She didn't want to sleep until Raquel had at least stirred or showed some other sign that she was going to wake up. She closed her eyes again, thinking about how this night had gone. It started off as Raquel's plan to cheer her up and now Raquel was laying in a hospital bed.

Brianna's head snapped up when she heard her sister starting to breathe faster. Raquel's eyes opened slowly and she started coughing.

Before Brianna could say anything to her, the coughing got worse and Raquel pulled the oxygen mask off of her face. She yanked the sheets off and got out of bed, her legs wobbling beneath her. She rushed toward the bathroom, shoving the door open and just barely making it before she started violently throwing up.

Brianna rushed in behind her without a second thought and gently pulled her hair out of her face, holding it back with one hand and rubbing her back with the other. After a few minutes, the heaving stopped and Raquel loosened her white knuckle grasp on the sides of the toilet. She fell back against Brianna, crying. Bri wrapped her arms around Raquel, resting her head on top of her sister's.

"It's gonna be okay," Brianna said, rocking her back and forth. "It's gonna be okay, I promise."

---------------------

"Everyone," one of the nurses walked into the waiting room. "I just wanted to let you know that Ms. Davenport is awake."

"She is?" Gia looked up, tears springing to her eyes.

The nurse nodded, "She's not in any condition for visitors just yet but her sister requested that I tell you all she is awake."

"Oh thank God," Gia put a hand over her mouth. Brian and Trish were on either side of her and they both hugged her.

"Thank you for letting us know," John nodded to the nurse who smiled before walking away.

Jeff released the breath he hadn't realized he started holding when the nurse came in. Relief washed over him, and everyone else, with the news that Raquel was conscious. The longer she was out, the more potential there was for brain damage. He wished he could go in to see her but he understand that they would have to wait. As long as she was awake, he felt better. Then, he noticed the police officer that interviewed everyone earlier start making his way toward the hall.

Jeff stood up, "Where are you going?"

The officer sighed, "I need to go interview Ms. Davenport."

"Not right now you don't," Jeff stepped in front of him, blocking his path to the doorway. "Didn't you hear the nurse say she's not in any condition for visitors?"

"Yes but I need to get the details while they're still fresh in her mind," The officer explained.

"It doesn't seem likely to me that she'll forget anything in the next 15 minutes," Jeff said. "So I suggest you sit down because you're not getting out of this room until the doctor says it's okay."

The officer looked annoyed but he turned, walking back to the corner he'd been sitting in.

---------------------

_1 Hour Later…_

Brianna helped Raquel back into bed. She'd just finished throwing up again. Bri picked up a cup of ice chips and handed a few to her sister, then put it back on the bedside table. She couldn't imagine what Raquel felt like. She couldn't imagine what was running through her head. She hadn't talked much. After she woke up there was mostly crying, hugging, and more vomiting. But not too much discussion.

"You look tired," Raquel said, her voice raspy.

"I'm fine," Brianna shook her head. "We need to focus on you."

"You need some sleep," Raquel said. "Or at least to get out of this room for a little while."

Brian shook her head defiantly, "Raquel, I'm _fine_."

"I know you are," Raquel said quietly. "But I really need you right now and you aren't gonna be much help if you're falling asleep."

Brianna felt tears spring to her eyes but she blinked to keep them from falling.

"At least take a break," Raquel requested.

Brianna didn't want to leave. She didn't want her to be by herself.

"I…I want to talk to Jeff," Raquel requested.

"Jeff?" Brianna repeated.

Raquel nodded.

"Okay," Brianna sighed. She could see that Raquel wasn't giving up on making her take a break from bedside duty so she stood up. "I'll be back."

She walked out of the room and down the hall, running a hand through her hair.

When she got into the waiting room, everyone stared at her expectantly. John walked over to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, grateful for the support.

"Jeff," she sighed. "She wants to talk to you."

Jeff looked surprised but then stood up.

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to step in," The police officer in the corner got up, walking over to them. "I need to speak with Ms. Davenport immediately."

Brianna tensed. John must have felt it because he pulled her a little closer.

"Cant it wait a few minutes?" John asked.

The officer shook his head, "I've already waited too long. As I stated earlier, I need to get as many details as I can from the victim-"

"Her name is Raquel," Brianna glared.

"From _Raquel_," the officer corrected. "While the incident is still fresh in her mind."

"Fine," Brianna sighed. "But I want to be there."

"I cant allow that," he shook his head.

"Why not?" John asked. "She probably needs someone in there with her."

"Ms. Kavner might influence her statement," the officer explained.

"How would I influence her statement?" Brianna asked angrily. "That doesn't make any fucking sense."

"Calm down," John rubbed her arm slowly.

"This is stupid," Brianna rolled her eyes.

"We'll stand outside the room," Jeff said, putting a hand on Brianna's shoulder. "If we think it's getting out of hand, we'll just step in."

The officer looked like he wanted to object but he sighed, walking out.

"Okay," Brianna nodded. John took her hand and led the way down the hall toward Raquel's room.

---------------------

John held Brianna's hand as they stood in front of Raquel's room, watching through the window as the officer questioned Raquel. He could tell how much it pained her that she couldn't go in and sit with her sister. It took everything in him not to wrap his arms around her and hold her as close and as tight as he could but he wasn't sure how she would react. She was at least allowing him to hold her hand and that was good enough. If she needed more, she would let him know.

Jeff was pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing into the room.

"You okay man?" John asked.

Jeff nodded quickly, not making eye contact.

Brianna looked up at Jeff, "You can go in as soon as he's done."

"I know," Jeff said, still not looking at them.

"Jeff," she released John's hand, reaching out to take Jeff's. "I wanna thank you again for everything you did tonight."

"Yeah," John agreed. "If it hadn't been for you, who knows what would have happened."

"You don't have to thank me," Jeff said. "I did what I had to do."

They stopped talking when they heard Raquel's voice. John turned and he could see that she'd started sobbing. Brianna turned away from the window, resting her forehead against John's chest. He put his arms around her, pulling her close to him. He wanted to go in and stop the interview. He wanted to pick the cop up and punch him for whatever he may have said to upset his good friend but he knew that wasn't an option. And he knew it wasn't likely that Raquel would get through the questioning without getting emotional so there wasn't really anything he could do. He looked up at Jeff, who was staring into the room, his jaw clenched tightly. He was obviously thinking the same thing John was.

---------------------

_15 Minutes Later…_

Jeff stood at the doorway to Raquel's room. The officer was gone, John had convinced Brianna to go to the cafeteria and get some food with him. The doctor had given Raquel a sedative after the emotional questioning and now she was asleep. Jeff had been given permission to go in but he wasn't sure if he could do it. Then he remembered that she wanted him there. She asked for him earlier. He walked in, sitting in the chair beside the bed.

He reached out, gently touching her small hand, "I'm sorry Raquel…I'm sorry this happened to you."

The only sound she offered was her breathing.

Her put his hands over hers, "If I could find that guy, I would make him pay for what he did to you."

He stroked her hand with his thumb, not knowing why he was talking when he knew she couldn't hear him.

"I know we fight a lot," he said. "But I do care about you…and I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner..I'm sorry I let this happen."

---------------------

"Is it cold out here or is it just me?" Brianna asked as she and John stood outside. She wanted some fresh air so he brought her into the hospital's courtyard.

"I'm not that cold," John said. "You're tired. You always get cold easier when you're tired."

She nodded, stepping closer to him as a breeze blew by.

"Come here," he put his arms around her.

She rested her head on his chest, taking a deep breath. Brianna didn't care about any of the tension that had been between them. She would probably lose her mind if he wasn't there with her. Nick and her father hadn't bothered to get there. They hadn't even called. But John, John was there with her every second and she truly believed that he would have made the effort, even if he was in another city, to get there and be with her. John kissed the top of her head and she looked up at him, meeting his blue eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded, still looking at him, studying his face. He had a face she could look at for hours and never get bored.

She got up on her toes on impulse, her lips just barely brushing his. She was surprised at herself and didn't move for a second, looking down, not knowing what to do. John was obviously surprised too but he reacted before she did. He tilted her chin up with his thumb and leaned down to kiss her again. She knew she should probably move away but the signals from her brain weren't reaching the rest of her because she stood there, closing her eyes as his lips got closer to hers. But before he could, her cell phone rang.

---------------------


	31. Chapter 31

**Sorry this one's a little short. I'm on my way out and I wanted to get it posted before I go. Yay for parties! It better not suck...Anyway, here's the chapter. Read, Enjoy, & Review!!**

**Chapter 31...**

John watched as Brianna explained to her father what was going on. Frank Kavner certainly had bad timing. She looked stressed as she paced back and forth.

"What do you mean you're not coming?" she asked. "She's your daughter!"

"Yes she's in stable condition but……Fine, fine, _whatever_."

She angrily closed her phone, clutching it so tightly her hand shook.

"What'd he say?" John asked as she started toward him.

She passed him, not saying a word as she put her phone in her pocket.

"Bri," he followed her back into the hospital.

"He's not coming," Brianna shook her head. "He said that since Raquel is in stable condition, it's not necessary for him to be here."

John couldn't say he was surprised. Dr. Kavner hadn't even bothered to come to the hospital when Brianna had to have emergency knee surgery after a bad fall during a dance rehearsal. He hadn't been there when Gia was in a car accident and broke her leg. It seemed as long as his daughters weren't dead, he saw no reason to rush.

"I'm sorry Bri," he said, following as she walked down the hall.

"Don't be," she shrugged. "We're used to it."

---------------------

Raquel changed the TV channel, dropping the remote by her side. She couldn't find anything to watch. She couldn't get comfortable in her bed. Her head hurt. Everything hurt. Her eyes were sore from crying, her throat was raw from throwing up. She wanted to go home. She wanted to curl up in her bed, hide under the covers and try her best to forget the last few days. Fortunately, she couldn't remember everything so at least she wasn't reliving the whole thing over and over. She wiped her thumbs under her eyes, wincing at the pain she felt. She leaned back against her pillows, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"_I think maybe you've had enough. We should get back to the hotel."_

"_No!"_

"_Raquel what is wrong wi-"_

"_I don't need you in my face Jeff…Mind your own damn business. I'm fine."_

"_You're not fine."_

"_Shut up." _

"_You need to sober up."_

"_You're pissed because I was hanging out with somebody else…..Look Jeff, just because I've been nice to you lately, doesn't mean I like you. You don't even have a chance with me. I think we both know you got lucky once but it's never gonna happen again…so you should really just give it up."_

Raquel felt her eyes fill with tears as she remembered what she said to Jeff. She couldn't believe the things she said. She couldn't believe that after that, he saved her. If it weren't for Jeff, she might be dead.

She pressed the call button on her remote and in a minute or two, her nurse arrived.

"What can I do for you dear?" the nurse asked.

"Jeff Hardy," Raquel said. "Is he still in the waiting room?"

"I believe so," she said. "Would you like for me to send him in?"

Raquel nodded, wiping her eyes again, "Please."

"No problem," the nurse said quickly leaving the room. After a few minutes, Raquel heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Raquel could feel her hands shaking as Jeff walked into the room. For some reason, once she saw him, the damn broke. She started crying before she could even say anything.

---------------------

Jeff rushed into Raquel's room, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling her into his arms. She sagged against his chest, sobbing. She was saying something but he couldn't make it out through the sobs. He ran a hand over her hair, not sure what else to do. There wasn't anything he could say to make what happened go away. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't change anything.

"I'm sorry."

He leaned away from her a little when he heard what she said, "What?"

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm sorry..for what..I said."

He pulled her against him again, hugging her, "I don't ever want you to apologize for that again."

After a few minutes, her crying slowed and almost stopped completely.

"Why would you apologize?" he asked, running his hand over her hair again. "You didn't-"

"I was such a _bitch_ to you," she sniffed. "I treated you like crap for _no_ reason."

"You had a reason," he reminded her as she slowly pulled away. "You were drugged. You didn't know what you were saying."

"I know I just-"

"Forget about it," he said. "Please."

She looked away, wringing her hands. The green of her eyes was paler than normal. The bruising on her face had gotten darker.

She took a deep breath, looking down, "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked, getting off of the bed and sitting in the chair beside it.

"For saving me," she said. "For getting me here, for being here now. Everything."

"You don't need to thank me," he said. "I did what I had to do."

"I wanna get out of here," she said, running a hand through her hair.

"You will soon," he said.

"Will you stay until I do?" she asked.

Jeff nodded, "Yeah..I'll be here."

---------------------

_Sunday Night…_

Brianna yawned as she and John walked down the hall after helping Jeff get Raquel settled in her new hotel room.

"You look tired," he said, breaking the silence.

"I am tired," she said. "Aren't you?

John nodded.

They reached Brianna's door at the end of the hall and she pulled out her key, "You wanna come in?"

John shrugged, "Sure."

Brianna opened the door and walked in with John close behind. She dropped her car keys on the table in front of the TV and the flopped down on the couch.

"You okay?" John asked, sitting beside her.

"This has been one of the longest weeks in my life," she said. "But I'm fine."

"I know what you mean," John said.

She took off her shoes and tossed them aside, folding her long legs up onto the couch. John handed her the remote and she turned the TV on, flipping through the channels. As she focused on the television, he focused on her. His mind went back to the brief kiss they shared at the hospital. He hadn't allowed himself to think about it until now. Everyone was focused on Raquel. But now, sitting just a foot away from her, alone with her, he was having trouble focusing on anything but how much he wanted to kiss her again.

She looked over at him, catching him staring, "What?"

"Nothing," he shook his head.

She arched a brow, looking into his eyes.

"I was just thinking about something," he shrugged.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he shook his head.

"Oh come on," she scooted closer to him. "Just tell me."

John knew that telling her wouldn't do any good. He decided, instead, to show her. He put his hand on the back of her neck, rubbing her skin softly with his thumb. She closed her eyes and it was obvious she wasn't about to push him away. He leaned forward, kissing her softly. It was her who deepened the kiss, placing her hands on the sides of his face. Their tongues tangled together and he pulled her onto his lap, sliding his hands under her shirt. John got lost in her, remembering why he'd always thought there were very few things in the world that could compare to the feel of her against him. He pulled her shirt up and she pulled away long enough for him to get it over her head, leaving her in jeans and a bra. She grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and he helped her get it off, tossing it behind him before pulling her back into a kiss. He stood, holding her up, her legs around his waist. She broke the kiss, focusing her attention on his neck just as he reached the bed.

"John," she moaned his name as he laid her down. He captured her lips again, unbuttoning the top of her jeans as she started to undo his belt.

"John."

---------------------

"John!" Brianna laughed, pushing him. She'd been trying to wake him up for at least 5 minutes.

He jumped, looking around the room. His gaze finally rested on her and he stared. His expression was a mixture of exhaustion and frustration.

"You must have been having some dream," she said, standing up. "It took forever to get you up. Come on, you gotta get everything out of your room so we can get to the airport."

"Airport?" he stared.

"Yeah," she nodded. "It's Monday morning, you guys are flying out to Des Moines. Raquel and I are going to LA."

"It's morning already?" he still seemed confused.

She laughed, nodding, "You fell asleep like the second we sat down to watch TV. You looked so peaceful I didn't have the heart to wake you up so I just got you a blanket and then I went to bed."

"That's _all_ that happened?" he stared.

"Yeah," she said, picking up her brush and brushing through her hair. "Why?"

He laid back down, putting his hands over his face, "No reason."

---------------------


	32. Chapter 32

**Okay **so I have to sincerely apologize for the lack of updates on this story. I've been so busy and I kind of had blinders on where my other story Thin Line was concerned. I was working so hard on rewriting that one that I neglected F,L,O and all of it's _fabulous_ readers. I promise I'm picking this back up and I've gotten better at balancing both so there will be regular updates in both stories and hopefully Lovesick in the very near future. Don't be too hard on me, I'm going through a stressful time right now. My mom just got out of the hospital so I'm kind of shaky. I actually wrote this because I couldn't go to sleep. But now I'm just babbling because I'm so tired. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review my peeps!!!

**Chapter 32...**

_2 Weeks Later..._

"They look awesome," Troy said, looking up at the stage. The club wouldn't be open until the evening but Brooke and her dancers were rehearsing on the stage, doing a sound check and blocking. Brianna and Troy, along with some club employees, Brooke's entourage, and a few people from the record label were milling about. Everyone Troy had met so far seemed a bit on edge about Brooke's first club appearance but Brianna didn't look worried. She looked dead tired but not worried. Troy watched as she got up from the chair she was sitting in and walked closer to the stage. She'd always been good at hiding fatigue but for once, he could see the exhaustion written all over her face. The dark circles around her eyes were the only real color on her face. After Raquel's attack, they flew back to LA and Brianna had the show replace her for that week so that she could stay at home with Raquel. She only got to work with Brooke and the dancers twice that week which meant they had to work even more in the days leading up to the first show. Bri worked with Brooke and her dancers every day for the last 6 days for at the very least 3 hours. In addition to that, Wednesday marked the beginning of the most important week in the So You Think You Can Dance competition. The show was down to the final four which found Brianna choreographing four of the seven numbers for the voting finale. In addition to that, she had to do three new dances for the grand finale and the show wanted footage of her and the dancers revisiting 6 of her pieces from throughout the season that were going to be performed again. Troy guessed his cousin had slept maybe 15 hours in over a week.

"Janna will you _please_ stop mouthing the words?" Brianna called up to the stage. "Brooke already has backup singers. You're a dancer. _Dance_."

"Sorry, I cant help it," Janna said from the stage, giving Brianna an apologetic smile.

Brianna rubbed her forehead, turning around and shutting her eyes tightly.

Troy got up, walking over to her, "Come on honey, let's go get some air."

She dutifully took his hand and followed him toward the door. It was times like these where Troy remembered how young his cousin really was. Sometimes he looked at her and wished she could just be a normal 22 year old college student with a set, structured schedule and a fun social life. He held the door open for her and she walked out, squinting against the brightness of the sun.

"You alright?" Troy asked.

She nodded, turning toward the door to get away from the bright light.

"Don't lie to me," Troy said. "I know you like the back of my hand."

"I'm just tired," she said. "Everything has been so hectic lately."

"I know," Troy sighed.

"Between Raquel and all this work, I don't remember the last time I slept through the night," Brianna admitted. "Listen to me, I'm getting whiny."

"You're not whining," Troy said. "You're spread too thin, sometimes you need to say it out loud."

Brianna shrugged, tugging a stray strand of hair back into her ponytail.

"How's Nick?"

She shrugged.

"That good, huh?" Troy laughed.

"I've barely seen him," she said. "We're both always working. I saw him this morning and felt like I was running into a stranger."

"That's better than fighting," Troy joked.

"Oh there's been fighting," Brianna shook her head, crossing her arms. "What little conversation there has been was tense."

"Why?"

"Why else?" she asked. "Because he still has these..issues with me and John. It's ridiculous. Even if he doesn't say it directly, I can tell that's what every argument is really about. It's ridiculous."

"It is?" Troy smirked.

Brianna obviously wasn't in a joking mood. She gave Troy a stern look, "I've barely seen John since we left the hospital. I haven't even had time to talk to him."

"Has he called?" Troy asked, though he already knew the answer to that question.

"A couple times," Brianna shrugged. "I was busy."

"That must be tough," Troy said.

"What?" she looked up at him.

"Wanting to talk to someone as badly as I know you wanna talk to him and not being able to," Troy said. "It's gotta be tough."

She looked like she wanted to argue but she was too tired. Instead she looked down at the ground, arms still crossed. She looked back up at him with sad green eyes and nodded, "Yeah..it is."

That was the most honest admission of her feelings for John that Troy had been able to get out of her in quite some time. He'd have to question her when she was ready to pass out from fatigue more often.

"Is he coming tonight?" Troy asked, smoothing her hair.

"I don't know," Brianna said. "I know Maria's coming with us and that's it."

"Why don't you call him now?" Troy suggested.

She shrugged again.

Troy laughed a little. She was indecisive enough wide awake but tired..it was nearly impossible to get something out of her. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, holding it out to her, "You've got a minute...call him."

---------------------

Raquel looked around the office that had become so familiar to her over the last few weeks and found herself wondering if Dr. Cronin had ever considered hiring a decorator. The room was depressing. If people didn't come in suicidal, they might leave that way. The walls were a dark, sterile gray color, the same as the floor. The doctor had a large, ornate dark wood desk that had a very ominous and looming presence. The first time Raquel sat down across from it she felt like she was in court, sitting at the defendant's table, waiting to be sentenced. Bookshelves lined the walls behind the desk, during one visit Raquel was scanning the shelves and discovered that they were all books on the psychiatric field. It never quite made sense to her that doctors would have their offices lined with books about their area of expertise. If they were trained enough to be an expert, why did they need books about the subject within reach at all times? The couch that Raquel was sitting on was gray also, though to the doctor's credit, it was a lighter shade than the walls and carpet. There were two black throw pillows, presumably put there to match the doctor's black leather chair. There was a painting on the wall closest to the door, a white background with big, dark red flowers. Every time Raquel entered the office, it caught her eye. Not because it was particularly beautiful but because she figured a psychiatrist would have a picture of something more deep and meaningful not just..flowers. When Raquel looked up at the painting she could see her reflection in the glass. She looked just as pitiful as the last time she looked in a mirror only a few hours before. She was wearing a gray long sleeved t-shirt that was a few sizes too big for her, black sweatpants and gym shoes. Before that night at the club she hadn't left her house in sweats and gym shoes since..ever but it seemed like lately that was all she wore. Her hair was limp and pulled up into a ponytail, her roots in need of a touch up. She still bore the marks of her ordeal. The bruises on her face were fading but there were still dark patches along the left side of her face and around her right eye. Her split lip had almost completely healed but it was still a little sore. So many of her nails broke that she had to file them all the way down and now she was looking at them, thinking how small her hands looked without her usual manicure.

"Raquel," Dr. Cronin sighed, folding her hands together and leaning forward. Her tone was calm but she was sitting the way she always did when she was growing impatient.

"Hmm?" she looked up at the older woman.

"Have you remembered anything since our last session?"

Raquel pulled her feet up onto the couch, looking down at her nails again. After a few seconds, she looked back up at the doctor's expectant face. She was leaning forward so much that her glasses were starting to slide down her nose.

"If I remembered something, I would have mentioned it," Raquel said quietly. She knew her response, especially her tone, was a little rude but to be perfectly frank, she didn't like Dr. Cronin. The police suggested she see a psychiatrist, hoping that it would help her remember something about her attacker. Her father's contribution to her recovery was getting her in to see Dr. Angela Cronin. She was usually booked solid but as a favor to Dr. Kavner, she agreed to see Raquel every three days for two hours. Their sessions never really went anywhere. Raquel's memories stopped as she and her friends were getting into the car to go to the club and they started back up in her hospital room, vomiting so much her throat was raw and bleeding. Dr. Cronin would ask questions, trying to draw some information from Raquel's subconscious but it wasn't working. And the longer it took, the more Dr. Cronin seemed to push. Weren't psychiatrists supposed to be patient? Dr. Cronin wasn't. She wasn't patient and though she did her best to act comforting, Raquel didn't really buy it. She got a feeling from her that she saw so many damaged people that they were all the same to her. Sure, she felt bad but she didn't really feel for each person individually. She just pitied all the poor souls as if they were one.

"I don't even see a point to these sessions," Raquel pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. "There's not some deep reason that I cant remember. I didn't just block it out. I was on so much GHB I almost died. I don't remember because I'm physically unable to not because I blocked it out."

"We don't know for sure why you cant remember Raquel," Dr. Cronin said in a low, even tone.

"If I could don't you think I would?" Raquel asked, growing agitated. "The drugs damaged my memory. I didn't choose to forget!"

"Raquel, I understand what you're feeling right-"

"Really?" Raquel asked, her eyes locking with the doctor's. "When was the last time you were drugged, beaten, held at knifepoint and almost raped, hmm? When was the last time someone made you feel violated? The last time you thought that you would never see anyone you love ever again?"

She didn't respond.

"That wasn't a rhetorical question, I really wanna know," Raquel moved forward on the couch, putting her feet back on the ground. "If you're so understanding, if you know what I'm going through, then let's hear it...what's your story Dr. Cronin? What's your traumatic experience?"

Dr. Cronin looked rattled for a second but then she took a deep breath, "I cant say that I've ever had one."

Raquel picked up her purse, walking toward the door, "That's what I thought."

---------------------

John walked over to his bag, finishing off a bottle of water. He was trying to get in a good long work out while he actually had the time. He didn't have to be anywhere for a few hours. He was reaching in for a towel when his cell phone started ringing. He pulled a towel out of the bag first and then found the phone, answering it without looking at the display, "Hello?"

He wiped some of the sweat off of his face waiting for a response, "Hello?"

"Hey."

He froze for a second when he heard Brianna's voice.

"John?"

He shook his head a little, putting the towel down, "Hey, sorry, I couldn't hear you for a second."

"It's okay," she said.

Something was wrong. She didn't sound right. She'd only said two words but that was all he needed, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said. "I was just..calling to say hi...I um...I just.."

She took a deep breath and John waited for her to continue.

"I don't really know why I'm calling," she admitted.

John sat down, concerned. She sounded drained and..sad.

"I think you're calling because you missed me," he joked.

He heard what could have been a laugh, "That might be it."

Then she sniffed.

"Are you crying?" he asked.

"No," she answered but her wavering pitch told him otherwise. She took a deep, shaky breath.

"Bri, you gotta tell me what's wrong," he implored.

"I don't even know," she admitted, sniffing again. This time when she spoke he could clearly tell she was crying, "I don't know what's wrong with me...I'm just..It's nothing. Nevermind."

"No, not nevermind," John said, growing more anxious. "Brianna-"

"Are you gonna make it to Brooke's show tonight?" she asked. He could hear in her voice that she was doing her best to calm herself down.

John hated having to answer that question. He sighed, "I'm in Texas, I have a signing at 6."

"Oh," she sounded disappointed and John wished he could change it.

"I'm sorry Bri," he said, running his hand over his hair.

"It's okay," she said. "Listen, I gotta go, they're calling me back in...I'll see you later."

Before he could say anything else she was gone. John sighed, putting his phone back in his bag. If he knew Brianna she was working herself to the bone, probably not eating much, definitely not sleeping, and doing everything she could for Raquel without taking a second for herself. And Nick was probably doing nothing to help her. John zipped his gym bag and walked back to the weights, trying to figure out how soon he could get to her. She obviously needed him.

---------------------

7:30 PM

"And you just walked out?" Jeff asked. He was sitting in Raquel's living room, and she'd just recounted her latest session with Dr. Cronin. She was curled up on the couch across from him, her knees pulled up to her chest.

Raquel nodded, "I couldn't stay in there anymore. I hate the way she says she understands."

"She's trying to help," Jeff said gently. "Give her a chance."

"I have Jeff," she said, running a hand through her hair. "She's _not_ helping. She's getting paid to tell me she understands but she isn't doing a damn thing that actually helps me."

"Maybe just talking about it will help," he suggested.

"It doesn't," she shook her head.

"You may not realize it yet but-"

"Jeff I haven't remembered anything," she said, looking down at her hands. "No matter what I do. No matter who I talk to or how hard I try I _cant_ remember."

She shook her head, "I go over it every day...I remember getting dressed with Trish, Maria and Bri...then Bri and Maria left and it was just me and Trish and I remember picking the green dress and telling Trish how you helped me decide to buy it. I remember curling my hair, doing my makeup..I remember all of us getting in the car. Maria and Bri in the front, me and Trish in the back. I remember us all singing Livin on a Prayer at the top of our lungs and Maria calling us weirdos and then...then it's just.._black_. The next thing I know, I'm in the hospital room and my whole body hurts and I cant stop crying and I know something's wrong but I don't know what. I remember throwing up, I remember Bri crying and seeing you and the doctors and everything but I cant remember the part that's the most important."

"You're pushing yourself too hard," he said. "You cant expect a miracle in two weeks."

"You don't understand Jeff," she met his gaze and the look in her eyes made Jeff want to put his arms around her and protect her from the rest of the world. "The only thing keeping the police from catching this guy is..is me."

Her voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek, "He beat me..I thought he was gonna kill me...and I cant even manage to remember his face...You see those victims on TV that help catch their attackers because they fought and because they could remember everything he did and said and how they looked and I cant...I cant do that. I'm useless."

She buried her face in her hands, sobs taking over.

"You are not useless," Jeff walked over, kneeling in front of her. He put his arms around her and she leaned on him, crying, her small, thin frame shaking.

"It shouldn't have to be a miracle," she cried. "I should know this. It should be burned in my brain. I should be able to help them catch him."

"We'll catch him Raquel," he smoothed her hair. He sat on the couch and pulled her onto his lap. "I promise, we'll catch him."

---------------------

Nick leaned against the wall, watching as Brianna finished her makeup. She didn't seem to notice that he'd come home. She was too caught up in preparing for Brooke's big night. That was all she seemed to care about. Brooke and the show and...everything but Nick and what he needed. She looked amazing in a very short sleeveless blue and black printed dress and black boots. She leaned forward a little, her skirt riding up and he took in the sight of her long tanned legs and perfectly rounded ass. The guys at the station were always going on at the station about what a lucky bastard Nick was and how he had the perfect girlfriend. Some lucky bastard. If only the guys that envied him knew he never got to touch his so-called perfect girlfriend.

She looked into the mirror and jumped, finally becoming aware of his presence. He smiled at her but she didn't smile back. She picked up her mascara, going back to what she was doing, "I didn't know you were home."

"I just got here a few minutes ago," he answered. "You look nice."

"Thanks," she said, standing up straight and surveying her appearance. She frowned then looked back down at the makeup strewn across the counter, picking up an eyeliner pencil and going back to work.

It was becoming increasingly obvious that her full attention was not on the menu for the evening and it was getting irritating.

"I need to talk to you," he said.

"You are talking to me," she reminded him.

"I feel like I'm talking at you," he said.

"Talking _at_ me would imply that I'm not listening," she said. "I am...so go ahead."

He hated when she explained things to him like that.

"It'd be a lot easier to talk _to_ you if you _looked_ at me," he said, his jaw feeling tight.

"Nick, I'm a little busy right now," she said, touching up the smoky makeup around her eyes. "I have to be ready in 15 minutes."

"So fuck what I have to say, right?" he threw his hands up.

"No Nick, not fuck what you have to say," she turned around. "I told you I was listening. If you have something to say, you're more than welcome to say it."

With that, she turned back to the mirror and Nick fought the urge to grab her and shake her. She could be so god damn frustrating.

"God damn it I wanna have a conversation with my fiance, not her back while she ignores me," he said.

"I'm _fucking_ listening to you!" she turned around, throwing whatever she had in her hand to the ground. "Stop acting like a little kid that needs attention. I am _listening_! I can do two things at once!"

"Don't fucking yell at me like that," he pointed.

She rolled her eyes, walking out of the bathroom, brushing past him.

He followed her out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

"Will you stop?!" he asked, rushing to keep up with her.

She stopped, turning around, "What? _What_ do you _want_?"

"What the hell is your problem?" he asked. "I'm the one with a reason to be angry right now."

"_You_?" she stared. "_You're_ the one with reason?"

"Yeah, yeah I am," he nodded.

She stalked up the steps, stopping on the one right in front of him, "I have been trying to help my sister, who, in case you've forgotten, was _attacked_ two weeks ago. _And_ I have been working practically 20 hours a day for _over_ a week and you have not offered me one _ounce_ of fucking support so please tell me why _Saint Nicholas_, do you have such a right to be angry and I don't?"

"You wanted support?" he asked. "How was I supposed to know that when you don't even talk to me?!"

"Are you blind?" she asked. "Can you not _see_ what's going on around you?"

"I'm very good at seeing what's going on around me," he pointed. "I can see exactly what you're doing."

"If you bring up John I swear to God..." she glared.

"What?" he asked. "What are you gonna do Brianna?"

"You are _obsessed_!" she pointed. "How many times do I have to tell you John and I are just friends?"

"Well you're not giving me any, I just assume _someone's_ getting it," Nick threw his hands up. Then he felt a hard slap across his face. He felt anger boiling in his stomach and he reached out, grabbing her wrist roughly.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again!" he yelled.

"Or what Nick?" she glared at him.

---------------------

"Brianna," Maria sang cheerfully as she walked into the penthouse. Troy had handed her his key, staying downstairs to talk to the doorman while Maria came up to get Bri. The three of them were supposed to ride to the club together.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again!"

Maria froze when she heard the yelling, "What the hell?"

"Or what Nick?"

When Maria heard Brianna's voice, she finally moved, walking toward the main area of the house, looking around for her friend. She finally spotted her on the stairs with Nick. They were glaring at each other, both of them red faced and Nick was holding Brianna's wrist so hard his knuckles were white. Before she knew what she was doing Maria was on her way up the stairs. Nick saw her and quickly let go.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Maria fumed, glaring at him.

Nick didn't say a word. He was breathing heavily and rubbing her wrist. Maria took her friend's hand, glaring at Nick, "If I _ever_ see anything like that again...You'll regret it."

Maria didn't wait for a response. She led Brianna down the stairs, grabbing her friend's purse and walking toward the door. She had to get her the hell out of there before they both went to jail for murdering her fiancé.


	33. Chapter 33

**Okay, here's the new chapter peeps. It gets a little.._mature_, if you will near the end so if you're not into that...just skip over it i suppose..I'm really hoping everyone likes this chapter...I'm pretty sure I do. As always, Read, Enjoy, & Review! The more I know you like the story, the easier it is for me to write it.**

**Chapter 33...**

Raquel rubbed her eyes, yawning. She couldn't remember when she fell asleep but she felt surprisingly rested. The last thing she remembered was crying on Jeff's shoulder. Jeff must have carried her to her room after she drifted off. She sat up, leaning against the headboard, looking around her darkened bedroom. She faintly see the pictures on her dresser. One was of her and her mother from a photo shoot they did a few years earlier. Another was a picture of her with Brianna and their father. Frank hated the picture but Raquel loved it. If anyone needed to know anything about their family all they had to do was look at that picture. Frank was standing in the middle, big proud smile on his face. Raquel was to his left, looking just as happy though in reality she hadn't wanted to be there. And Brianna was on his right, arms crossed, not a hint of a smile, glaring at Frank out of the corners of her eyes. There was another picture of her and Troy from Halloween. She was dressed as a cat and he was a construction worker. She pulled her knees up to her chest, closing her eyes. There were memories attached to each of those pictures. She could remember those days vividly. She could remember what shoes her mother was wearing. She could remember Brianna rolling her eyes and making faces behind their father's back as he talked to everyone who would listen about a surgery he was soon to perform. She remembered Troy laughing when a busty blonde came up and hit on him, telling him how manly he looked in his costume. Those memories were wonderful but she would give any one of them up just to remember a face. To remember the face of the man who hurt her. She could remember feelings but feelings didn't help. Recalling how scared she was didn't tell the police how to find her attacker. She needed to do something. There had to be some way to get her brain to work the way she needed it to. She could hear someone moving in the kitchen and remembered that Jeff was still there. He was always there for her it seemed. How there relationship had changed so drastically was beyond her. The days when she said she hated him seemed light years away. Now she felt safer knowing that he was around. He and Matt had spent all of their time off in LA visiting her. She jokingly called them her crutches once. Matt was a big help too, and a great friend but things with Jeff were just...different. She wasn't sure exactly how but she didn't really care.

There was a knock on the door and turned on her bedside lamp, "Come in."

"Have a nice nap?" Jeff smirked, leaning into the room.

"Any sleep is good sleep," she ran a hand through her hair.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Jeff smirked, pointing behind him.

The door opened wider and Matt appeared, holding up brown paper bags, "I brought food."

"Well then you're more than welcome," Raquel felt the corner of her mouth lift. Matt disappeared, most likely into the kitchen but Jeff was still leaning into the room. She could see that he was studying her and she looked down at her hands, letting him.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, "I'm fine. I'm frustrated but I haven't figured out any way to fix it yet so..."

She shrugged, not knowing where she was going with that sentence.

"Why don't you come out here and hang out with us before Matt eats all the food?" he suggested.

She smiled, "Yeah..I'll be out in a minute."

---------------------

Maria hung up her phone, slipping it into her purse as the lights went down. Brianna would probably be upset with her for making the call but she did what she felt needed to be done. Fortunately she had a few minutes alone while Brianna was backstage pep-talking Brooke and the dancers. John was quiet when Maria told him what she saw when she came into the penthouse. Then, he told Maria that he had to go and he'd call her back. She didn't need an outraged response to know what her friend was feeling and what he would do. She trusted that he would know how to handle it.

---------------------

Brianna stood to the side of the stage, watching as the club owner started Brooke's introduction. Brooke looked over her shoulder anxiously and Brianna gave her a reassuring smile. The owner finished and the beginning of the song My Space began as the dancers freestyled onto the stage. Brooke held her mic up, casting one more glance back. Bri gave her a thumbs up and Brooke began her verse, walking out onto the stage. Brianna watched, leaning against some equipment trunks. She had a horrible headache and the booming music wasn't exactly helping but she couldn't leave. She looked down at her wrist, frowning at the bruise Nick gave her. She found herself thinking that it was the only thing he'd given her in a long time and laughed. She knew nothing about her fiancée manhandling her was funny but tired as she was, it was either laugh or cry. She couldn't understand him anymore. She meant it when she said he was obsessed. He was so convinced that she and John were having some sort of an affair that he couldn't seem to think about anything else. As much as she wanted to say that his suspicions were unfounded, they weren't. Not completely. Physically she hadn't cheated on him but she couldn't stop thinking about John. Everything managed to remind her of him somehow. When she was upset, he was the one she wanted to talk to. When she was happy he was the one she wanted to tell. She felt guilty but it wasn't her fault. For someone who was constantly bitching about her lack of attention, Nick certainly didn't do much to try and get it outside of acting like a five year old. He didn't make her feel special. He didn't make her laugh. He didn't do anything but upset her. She looked down at her engagement ring. The ring that everyone seemed to think she didn't know was purchased with Troy's money. A bitter laugh escaped her again and she shook her head. Nick wanted her to give him everything without giving anything back. She wasn't sure she even wanted anything from him anymore. Now wasn't the time to make that decision. She was stressed out and desperately in need of rest. She looked at the stage, trying to focus on Brooke's performance, making mental notes of things to compliment everyone or things that still needed some work. Brooke was doing a great job as were the dancers. Janna was still mouthing the words but aside from taping her mouth shut Brianna wasn't sure there was a way to get her to stop. My Space ended with everyone perfectly in place and Brianna smiled when Natalie looked over at her before the next song started.

"Brianna!"

She turned around, smiling when she saw Troy.

"Come on," Troy took her hand. "Let's go get a drink."

---------------------

"I'll be right back," Raquel said, standing up from her seat on the couch.

"Where ya goin?" Matt asked.

"My salad needs more dressing," Raquel said, taking a step toward the kitchen.

"Sit down, I'll get it," Matt offered.

Raquel shrugged, sitting back down and Matt got up and went into the kitchen.

Jeff watched his brother leave, frowning.

"What's the matter?" Raquel asked. "Don't like your chicken?"

Jeff didn't realize Raquel was looking at him.

"It tastes a little funny," Jeff lied, putting the food down. The chicken was great, his brother however, was the one that seemed a little off. He had for a while. Everyone was concerned for Raquel and did everything they could to help her but Matt doted on her like a hand servant. It wouldn't have concerned him if it weren't for the fact that it didn't start with the attack. He'd been following Raquel like a lost puppy for a couple weeks and it made Jeff a little nervous. Yes, his brother most definitely had a crush and when he fell, he fell fast and hard. As far as Jeff knew, Raquel didn't think of Matt in that way and even if she did, she wasn't in any condition for a relationship and probably wouldn't be for quite a while.

Matt returned with the salad dressing and Raquel gratefully accepted it, "You're wonderful. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Matt smiled a somewhat dopey smile and Jeff leaned back against the couch, praying this didn't end where he thought it would.

---------------------

_2:15 A.M._

Nick was sitting on the couch, nursing another beer and staring blankly at the television when he heard the doorbell. He considered not answering it. Brianna had her keys, Troy was with her, Gia was out with her boyfriend and anyone else who would be coming by wasn't important. The bell rang again and he put his beer down, frowning in the direction of the door. Who the hell was it? It was 2 in the morning, not a great time for unexpected visitors. Whoever it was, they were fucking impatient because before Nick could move, the bell rang again. He got up, walking over, ready to send whoever it was on their way.

---------------------

John felt his fists clenching again as he waited for the door to open. It seemed like every time he got them to relax they would just ball into fists again. He hoped he could control himself when he came face to face with the person he came to see. His intent wasn't to beat the hell out of Nick. If it happened it happened but he wasn't going to open with a punch to the face, that would do nothing but get him arrested. After Maria called him and told him she saw Nick looking like he was about to hit Brianna, to say John was pissed was an understatement. His signing ran an hour and a half long and after that he had a brief newspaper interview over dinner. Once his business was taken care of, John booked the soonest flight to LA and now here he was, waiting for Nick to open the damn door. He rang the bell again and finally the door opened and Nick stood in front of him, looking annoyed and a little drunk.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

John walked past him into the penthouse and Nick turned around, obviously feeling challenged, "I didn't say you could come in here."

"I didn't ask for permission," John shrugged.

Nick's jaw clenched and John reminded himself that he was dealing with an inebriated cop who had a serious grudge against him not just some idiot he could knock around without any repercussions.

"You cant just walk in my house-"

"Last I checked it wasn't your house," John cut him off. "We need to talk."

"I don't have anything to say to you," Nick said, taking a drink from the beer in his hand.

"Fine by me," John shrugged.

"Get the fuck out," Nick said.

"I'll leave when I'm done," John said, feeling his shoulders tense. "I talked to Maria a few hours ago."

"Oh great," Nick rolled his eyes. "That bitch has no business meddling in my business."

"That _bitch_ is a good friend of mine so I suggest you watch your mouth before you piss me off more than you already have," John glared.

"Fuck you," Nick glared back.

"No fuck you Nick," John pointed. "It takes a special kind of asshole to raise his hand to a woman."

Nick was quiet.

"You're a real tough guy huh?" John asked. "Grabbing 125 pound women and shakin' em around a little, that's real bad ass."

"I didn't hit her," Nick said.

"But you wanted to, didn't you?" John stepped closer to him. "She made you so mad you just wanted to smack her, didn't you?"

"Shut up," Nick said but John could see in the other man's eyes that he was right. If Maria hadn't gotten there when she did, Nick would have hit her. That confirmation was enough to make John want to put his fist through Nick.

"What I do with my fiancée is none of your god damn business," Nick said. "You lost her. I'm the one who has her now."

"But you're scared I'll get her back," John said. "Isn't that why you're so pissed off all the time? Because you think she wants me?"

"Get the fuck out."

Nick came at him but before he could touch him, John grabbed his shirt, slamming him hard against the wall, knocking his beer to the floor.

"This is my business you son of a bitch," John said, getting right in his face. "Because if you _ever_ hurt her, I will _end_ you. You understand that?"

John looked down at his own hands, seeing that he was holding Nick's shirt so tight he was shaking. If he didn't let go now, he was going to do something stupid. He pushed Nick one more time, just so his head would tap against the wall before releasing him. Nick didn't move as John walked toward the door, walked out, and slammed it shut behind him.

---------------------

"There's gotta be some way to get him to stop snoring like that," Raquel smirked, leaning against Jeff. They were on one couch, still wide awake and Matt was on the other, sound asleep and snoring like a buzzsaw.

"He's been like that since we were kids," Jeff shrugged, his arm around her. "If he doesn't snore I'm scared he's stopped breathing."

Raquel laughed, "Do you hold a mirror under his nose?"

"I'm not that nice," Jeff smirked. "I just hit him with a pillow until he wakes up."

"Just like a little brother," Raquel laughed.

"That's right," Jeff nodded.

Raquel smiled, settling further into her seat on the couch. Jeff made a pretty good pillow. He was firm, yet comforting and he smelled good. She looked down at his hand that was resting on her arm. Her eyes traveled up the tattoo on his forearm and then she turned, looking up at his face. His eyes were fixed on the TV, his jaw comfortably set. He must have felt her looking and he looked down at her, smiling, "Can I help you?"

"Just don't move," she said. "I'm very comfortable and if you disturb my peace I'm liable to get very upset."

He laughed, shaking his head, "Well then I'll just sit here all night to make sure you're comfortable."

"You should," she laughed, resting her head against him again. She didn't want to admit it but she really didn't want him to leave. When she was around Jeff things were easy. There was no pressure. No expectation. He wasn't staring at her waiting for her to break down or to have some flashback. Matt's snoring got louder and he rolled over onto his stomach, his head hanging over the edge of the couch.

"Should we help him?" Raquel laughed.

Jeff shook his head, "As long as he's still snoring, he's okay."

---------------------

Brianna sat on the bed, flipping through the channels. She still couldn't get to sleep and it was starting to drive her crazy. She'd opted to stay in a hotel, not wanting to go home and have another stupid argument with Nick. She just didn't have that kind of energy. She thought about calling John again but it was late and she didn't want to wake him up just to listen to her whine. She laid down, looking up at the ceiling, watching the blades of the fan spinning around. She was still in her dress since she didn't bring anything with her. Troy and Maria had both offered to stay with her but she told them to go and get some sleep and she'd have breakfast with them in the morning. She checked into her favorite hotel, turned off her phone and put a do not disturb sign on the door. She closed her eyes and finally felt sleep begin to take over. Before she drifted off though, she heard knocking on the door. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling even more frustrated now. What the hell is wrong with people? You try to get a little peace and quiet in a nice hotel after a very stressful couple of weeks, all you want is a little sleep and they cant even obey a god damn do not disturb sign? She got up, her eyes heavy lidded as she walked toward the door, unlocking it and opening it slowly. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw John standing in front of her. In that very moment, the dam broke. All of the emotions she'd been struggling to keep at bay seemed to bubble over and she felt tears fill her eyes and spill over.

---------------------

The door opened and John looked at Brianna, not sure what to say. She looked exhausted. Her makeup was smudged, her hair was messy and she was still wearing a dress. When she saw him, she looked surprised for a moment and then her eyes got misty. Misty eyes turned into full blown tears and John did the only thing he could think of to make both of them feel better. He moved forward, taking her face in his hands, and kissed her. He guided her back into the room, deepening the kiss, his tongue delving deep into her mouth as he closed and locked the door behind them. The only light in the room was coming from the television but he didn't need it. He could feel everything he needed right in front of him. John's hands tangled in her hair and she clenched the front of his shirt. He kissed her so hard and for so long that he could barely breathe but he couldn't seem to pull away. His hand slid down her back, grabbing her zipper and pulling it down. She started pulling up the bottom of his t-shirt and he knew that he needed to pull away so she could get it off. Before he did, he pulled her closer, kissing her more feverishly. They were still moving further into the room and he inadvertently backed her up against a chair. He took advantage of the position, pressing his hips into hers, wanting, needing her to feel what she was doing to him. She started pulling his shirt again and he pulled away just long enough for her to get it off. With the shirt tossed behind him, he took her lips again moving them away from the chair and toward the bed. His hand moved over her back again and his pants grew tighter when he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. He struggled to get it off without having to stop kissing her. He pulled it forward and she slid her arms out and pushed it down over her hips, leaving herself in just her panties. John reached down to unzip his pants but she beat him to it, unbuttoning and unzipping them in seconds. He pushed them down, almost tripping over them as he moved her closer and closer to the bed. Her hands were on his neck and shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. When one of her hands moved down his chest and over his stomach, John knew that he wouldn't make it through any foreplay. He'd wanted this from the second he saw her again and he couldn't wait any longer to be inside her. The backs of her knees hit the bed and she sat down, pulling him with her. He hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties, sliding them off as she scooted back onto the bed. She reached for his boxers and suddenly John felt compelled to tell her something. To make sure she knew why he was there and what this was about. After a few seconds, he ended their kiss, and breathing heavily, he told her, "I love you."

She stared at him for a few seconds and he wasn't sure if she wasn't speaking from shock or because she was breathing even harder than he was. He realized that he was tightly gripping the sheets in anticipation of her response. She reached up, her soft hand finding the side of his neck and she kissed him, speaking against his lips, "I love you too."

His tongue found it's way back into her mouth and he pulled his boxers off, dropping them to the floor. He spread her legs and when his hand brushed her thigh he became acutely aware of the effect he was having on her. She giggled self consciously and he smiled, gently biting her bottom lip. She took him into her hand and he felt every muscle in his body tense in the most pleasurable way. He removed her hand though, sticking to his no foreplay decision and replaced it with his own, slowly guiding himself into her. She gasped and he stopped, looking into her eyes to make sure he hadn't hurt her. She was biting her bottom lip but the corner of her mouth lifted enough to show him that she wanted more. Soon their bodies were moving together, he couldn't tell if she was trying to keep up with him or it was the other way around but he knew that he never wanted to stop what he was doing. As they moved faster and faster, a sheen of perspiration covered her body and he couldn't think of anything in the world more perfect than the way she looked at that very moment. Her back arched, eyes closed, hands clenched in the sheets. She was matching his thrusts with increasing speed and her tightness and the sound of her moaning was almost too much for him to take. He leaned down, taking her lips and driving into her harder and deeper, making her moan louder. Her hands were on his back now and he would be surprised if her nails didn't draw blood. Her breathing quickened and her legs tightened around him as she reached her climax, pulling her mouth away from his as she yelled his name. He didn't last much longer, his face buried in the side of her neck as he yelled, "Fuck!"

She fell back against the bed, still trying to catch her breath and he rested on his elbows above her, feeling dizzy. He rested his forehead on her collarbone, softly kissing her chest. He kissed her again and realized that she was trembling. Concerned, he looked up at her, "You okay?"

She pulled him up, kissing his lips and nodding, "That was...wow."

"Yeah," he agreed. "It was."


	34. Chapter 34

**Once again I apologize for the lack of updates on this story...I was having a really, really hard time figuring out what to do with the next couple of chapters, especially this one. But I've pretty much got everything figured out now so the story will hopefully flow...I just hope I haven't lost the wonderful peeps who read the story. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review. Your input is greatly appreciated!!**

**Chapter 34...**

John's eyes opened slowly and he struggled to focus. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep but it was some of the best sleep he'd had in a long time. He smiled when he saw the unruly brown waves in front of him. He inhaled deeply, taking in the light, clean scent of Brianna's hair. She always said she couldn't stand to use shampoos with a lot of perfume because she didn't want to smell her own hair all the time. She was laying in front of him, her back against his stomach. One of his arms was under her head and the other was around her waist, her slender arm was draped over his. He kissed the back of her head, pulling her closer, reveling in the feeling of waking up beside her. He wasn't kidding himself, this wasn't an ideal situation and he had no idea what her reaction would be once she woke up. Their night together didn't erase their issues. She was still engaged. John was a little surprised that Nick hadn't had him arrested after their little talk last night. Pissing off a cop was a bad idea but he couldn't help it. When Maria told him what she saw, he _had_ to do something. Nick was lucky that all he got was a threat.

Yawning, John looked around the room for a clock. He found it behind him on the table beside the bed. It was almost noon. Part of him wanted to wake her so they could talk but he knew she hadn't been sleeping much lately and he wanted her to get as much rest as possible. And it didn't hurt his ego that her first good rest came because of him. He settled back into his pillow, hoping he could get another hour or two of sleep. Then, he felt her breathing change and she started to stir. He didn't move, not knowing if she was waking up or just moving a little. After a few seconds, she turned over and he found himself looking into sleepy green eyes. They just looked at each other for a few seconds, neither of them saying anything. He had plenty that he _wanted_ to say but he needed her to say something first. He needed to know what she was thinking and feeling before he said anything.

"Good morning," she said quietly. Her tone wasn't cold but it wasn't overly warm.

"Morning," he said, brushing her hair away from her face.

"How long have you been up?" she asked.

"Not that long," he shrugged.

"What time is it?" she asked.

John sighed, was she really going to make him go through small talk?

"It's 11:46," he answered, looking over at the clock and then back at her.

She looked surprised and he expected her to get up and start rushing around getting dressed, saying she had to leave.

She didn't though. She sat up slowly, resting her back against the headboard, holding the sheet over herself.

He sat up as well, turning to face her, "So..I'm guessing we need to talk."

She nodded, "That's probably a good idea."

And then it was silent again. She was looking down at her nails and he was looking at her, waiting for her to tell him that they'd made a mistake and she needed to get back home to her asshole of a fiancé.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, finally looking at him. He hated that he couldn't read her. Her eyes usually said everything. She didn't look upset but she wasn't wrapping her arms around him and saying he loved him either.

"Can I ask you something?"

He nodded, "Of course."

"Is this..what's been going on with us.." she seemed to be searching for the right words to say. "Is there a possibility that you just want me because I'm with someone else?"

John was surprised that she would ask him something like that. Did she actually think that what was going on between them was just ego driven? She _had_ to know him better than that. He didn't even have to think about his answer, "Brianna…I don't like Nick. I think he's one of the biggest assholes I've ever met…but that has nothing to do with the way I feel about you."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I don't want you because it bothers me to see you with someone else. It bothers the hell out of me, I'm not gonna lie," he smirked. "But I want you because..because I want you, not because I'm macho and I don't wanna see you with another man. I would want you if you were married, single, lesbian.._whatever_."

She laughed a little, shaking her head, "Why?"

"Because I love you," he answered simply. They were beyond hiding their feelings and acting like they didn't know what was going on. "When I said it last night I meant it."

She nodded, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. She seemed to be deep in thought, her eyes not focused on anything in particular.

"Can I ask _you_ something?" he asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She looked over at him, seeming a bit surprised, and nodded, "Yeah, of course."

John took a deep breath, not sure if he wanted to hear her how she would answer his question. He had to ask it though, "Who do you want to be with? Me..or Nick?"

Her eyes went back to her hands as she thought about her answer. Then, she looked up at him, "If it were just Nick…I'd leave him _right now_ to be with you."

John waited for her to continue, though he couldn't hide the smile that touched his face.

"I meant it too," she said. "I've done everything I can to ignore it or fight it but..There's no way around it. I love you."

He ran his finger over her cheek and along her jaw.

She looked down for a few seconds and when her eyes met his again, they were misty, her dark lashes wet with unshed tears, "It's not just Nick though…I have to think about Maya."

John sighed, nodding.

"I'm the closest thing to a mother she's got," Brianna sniffed. "I'm the one who takes care of her. I love her."

"I know you do," John nodded. "And she loves you."

She sniffed again, staring down at her hands, "If I went to Nick right now and told him I was leaving, he'd never let me see her. He'd be so angry that he would take her away and I wouldn't know if she was taken care of. I wouldn't know if she was happy. I wouldn't know _anything_."

John couldn't imagine what she was feeling. For him, it was easy. He loved her. He'd finally smartened up and gotten Paula out of his life. He didn't have anyone else to worry about. He pulled her close to him, putting his arms around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, crying softly. He was beginning to regret having this discussion. He knew it needed to be done but he just _hated_ seeing her cry. Her breathing returned to normal and she slowly pulled away, looking up at him, "I have to leave him, I know that."

"Bri you-"

"Just listen," she took his large hands in her smaller ones. "I know I have to leave him…I just need some time..to figure some things out."

John's feelings were an unsettling mix of elation and guilt. He was thrilled that she was choosing him. He was thrilled that she was leaving Nick. But he couldn't think of any way that this could end well as far as Maya was concerned. Despite her dependence on Brianna and her love for her, she was Nick's child plain and simple.

"I'm not saying that I expect you to be with me while I figure things out," she looked into his eyes. "But I'm asking you to just..be patient with me. Okay?"

"I wanna be with you any way I can," he said, running his hands over her hair and taking her face in his hands. "If it has to be like this until you leave Nick…then that's how it has to be."

John knew that there was no way he could just go back to being 'good friends' while he waited for her to break up with her fiancé. He knew that he wasn't getting himself into the best situation but…after what had transpired in the last 24 hours, not being with her just didn't seem like an option.

"John you don't have to-"

"I know I don't have to do anything," he said. "I want to…I love you."

She kissed him. A long, passionate, searching kiss. With that kiss she seemed to be asking him questions. Asking if he would wait for her, if he loved her, if they would really get through this. And he kissed her back, answering every question: yes.

---------------------

"How's your coffee?" Matt asked. He and Raquel had been up for a few hours drinking coffee and watching TV.

"Not the best I ever had but I suppose I wont fire you yet," she smirked.

"You better not," Matt said. "You know, I'm not your average housemaid. I can cook, I can sew, _and_ I do great laundry."

"You do?" she smiled. "Well then I _have_ to keep you on. We'll work on your coffee skills."

Matt watched her face as she turned her attention to the TV. He was glad that he could make her smile. She looked beautiful when she smiled.

Ever since her attack Matt kind of felt like it was his job to try to keep her smiling. A job that he had no problem accepting. He liked Raquel a lot, she was a good friend and if he couldn't beat the hell out of the guy that hurt her, he could at least do everything he could to help her get through it. And the more time he spent around her, the closer he felt they got. He was glad that he was someone she could lean on.

---------------------

Raquel looked up from the TV when he heard a door open. She heard feet on the carpet and then Jeff came around the corner yawning. Troy was out all night so Jeff had slept in his room to get away from Matt's snoring on the couch.

"Well if it isn't sleeping beauty," she smiled at him.

"Good morning," he walked over, mussing her hair before walking back to the kitchen.

"I see nobody made _Jeff_ any coffee," he said. "Thanks guys."

"I didn't think you'd be up for another few hours," Raquel said. "Sorry."

She and Jeff had been up rather late watching some movie. She knew Jeff liked his sleep so when she and Matt got up, she didn't want to wake him. She was glad he was up though. She loved hanging out with Matt but..she just liked it better when Jeff was around.

"You eat yet?" Jeff asked, coming in and sitting next to Raquel, his arm on the couch behind her.

"No," she shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm not hungry."

"Well you need to eat something," he said. "It's almost noon already."

"I will," she smiled, appreciating his concern.

"Come on, why don't we all go get some breakfast?" Jeff suggested. "Matt can pay."

"Oh thanks," Matt tossed a pillow over Raquel's head, hitting Jeff right on top of his head.

Jeff laughed, "You're lucky there's a girl between us."

---------------------

"I cant get rid of this guy Joe," Nick shook his head, frustrated. He was venting to his partner about his damaged love life. "He's not gonna give up until he gets her to leave me."

"Don't let it happen," Joe said simply.

"It's not that easy," Nick said. "She spends so much _fucking_ time around him and they have all that history and…I don't know. I gotta figure out what to do."

"Well," Joe sighed. "If you really feel that threatened..you gotta find a way to make her stay with you."

"How do you suggest I do that?" Nick asked.

"Well, what do women do when they wanna trap a man?" Joe smirked.

Nick thought about it for a second and then looked at his partner quizzically, "You think I should get her pregnant?"

---------------------


	35. Chapter 35

**Okay peeps.. I know it's been...a while since I updated this story and I feel very bad about it. I just got blocked on it and I didn't want to force something that I didn't think was good. But I've reread it and the plans for the rest and I have a renewed love for this story and it's characters. I just hope my readers haven't _completely _lost interest. This first chapter isn't the most eventful but I wanted to ease back into it. I will do my best to update regularly from now on. And be expecting an update of Truth In Deceit this week as well. As always, Read, Enjoy, & Review!!!!!**

**Chapter 35...**

_2 Weeks Later…_

"Well that was fun," Trish said as Matt and Jeff walked her out to her rental car.

"Nothing that involves us waking up at 4 AM is fun, Trish," Jeff corrected her. "Nothing."

Trish laughed, shaking her head. Jeff did love his sleep, that much she'd come to learn in the time that they'd been friends. She'd found it rather amusing when they were informed that they would be participating in a radio interview the morning of Summerslam. Matt didn't really seem to care either way but Jeff was none too pleased. The interview had gone well though. Trish and Matt did most of the talking with Jeff interjecting whenever he could manage to stay awake long enough to keep up with the conversation.

"So Trish…is Raquel coming tonight?" Matt asked.

Trish raised a brow at the expectant look on Matt's face. Before she could answer, Jeff was talking.

"Yeah, she's coming with Brianna."

Matt and Trish both gave Jeff a surprised look.

"What?" Jeff shrugged. "I talked to her last night.

"You did?" Matt seemed caught off guard.

"Yeah," Jeff answered. "She called to make sure we made it in okay and we didn't need a ride from the airport."

"She didn't call me," Matt said.

"Probably because she called me," Jeff shrugged. "You know some people tend to think if they talk to one of us it's as good as talking to the other."

"Yeah," Matt laughed sheepishly. "I guess."

Trish eyed the exchange between the two brothers. She wasn't sure if it was because it was so early but Jeff seemed completely oblivious to what was going on and she was wondering if it was her place to tell him.

"Hey Matt, I think I might have left my cell phone in there," she said, patting her pockets. "Would you mind getting it for me?"

"Sure," he looked a little confused but shrugged, "I'll be right back."

"Okay, that was obviously fake," Jeff pointed as Matt walked back into the building.

"You can spot that but you don't see what's going on here?" Trish stared at him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"You didn't notice how Matt just reacted to Raquel calling you and not him?" Trish asked. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Jeff shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"He was jealous," Trish insisted. "Clearly."

"Jealous of what?" Jeff laughed. "It was a welfare check. She might as well be social services."

"But she's not," Trish said. "I think Matt has a thing for her."

"Well if he does, it's got nothing to do with me," Jeff put his hands up. "That's between the two of them."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked.

Jeff nodded, "Positive."

* * *

"Good job man," John said, offering Randy a hand to help him up after spotting him.

Randy frowned, pushing away his hand and sitting up on his own. For the last two weeks, John had been unusually pleasant at their morning workouts and it was starting to grate on Randy's nerves. John usually harbored a healthy dislike for anything and everything before he ate his first meal of the day. Lately he'd been spreading politeness and love around like Mary Poppins.

"What is your problem?" Randy asked.

"What?" John laughed.

"Your problem," Randy said. "What is it?"

"I don't have a problem," John shrugged. "Do you?"

"I do," Randy said. "My best friend has turned into Glinda the good witch and it's _bothering_ me."

"I don't know what you're talking about man," John shook his head, opening a bottle of water. "So I've been in a good mood, what's the big deal?"

"Good moods are fine, floating around on cloud nine is suspect," Randy pointed. "Are you high?"

"No I'm not high," John laughed.

"Then what's the deal?" Randy asked. "I can only think of one thing that could have you all giddy like this and I know you're not getting…..Brianna."

John turned away when Randy stood up.

"That's what it is, isn't it?" Randy asked. "Something happened with Brianna."

"Brianna is engaged," John reminded him.

"Yeah and something tells me you two idiots have decided to overlook that," Randy shook his head. "I cant believe you."

"What?" John played innocent. "I haven't confirmed anything."

"You're not denying either," Randy pointed out. "What happened?"

"That's none of your business," John smiled.

"You got some," Randy accused him. "I know you did, I can see it in your eyes."

John shrugged.

"You know you're an idiot, right?" Randy asked.

"Why am I an idiot?" John asked, beginning to seem annoyed.

"You're fucking a cop's wife," Randy explained. "Not very bright."

"She's not his wife," John insisted. "And she's leaving him. As soon as the time is right."

Randy shook his head, "I hope for your sake that time actually comes."

* * *

Raquel watched as her Brianna and Rob led the dancers through some of the most difficult movements she'd ever seen. Her sister's talent never ceased to amaze her. Sure, Raquel had rhythm but she couldn't do the things Brianna could. She'd tried to take one of her classes once and gave up halfway through, feeling like a complete and total klutz.

"Not too bad," Brianna clapped her hands, smiling at the young couple once they finished the number.

"That was awesome," Raquel smiled at them. "Don't listen to her."

"They have no choice but to listen tome," Brianna laughed. "She may be right though, you guys that was almost flawless. I think we're done."

Both dancers hugged Brianna and waved to Raquel and Rob before exiting the room excitedly.

"That was great," Raquel commended her sister. "Can we go eat now? We're supposed to meet Trish and Maria at the hotel."

Brianna laughed, "Yes, we can go."

"So," Raquel looked over at her sister. "Have you talked to John since he flew in last night?"

"John?" Brianna thought about it for a few seconds. "Uh, yeah, he called to let me know he made it in but we didn't talk for too long."

Brianna started looking through her gym bag and Raquel frowned. She was avoiding something.

"It'll be nice to see him tonight," Raquel said. "He's been so busy with all this Summerslam promotion, he hasn't had an off day."

"Yeah," Brianna found her keys, nodding as they walked down the stairs to the front door. She shrugged, "I doubt I'll see him all that much. Once we get to the arena, I've got run throughs with Brooke and the dancers and he's gonna be working on his match so…We probably wont talk much."

"Are you okay?" Raquel asked, wondering why Bri was going so far out of her way to explain why she and John wouldn't talk.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Brianna insisted. "Why?"

Raquel sighed, putting on sunglasses as they walked outside. She would get to the bottom of this. Maybe not right that second but before the day was over.

She shrugged as they reached the car, "Nevermind."

* * *

_3:00 PM_

"Come on, I wanna go see John before you get whisked away to work," Raquel said, pulling her sister's hand.

"You go, I'm just gonna-"

"Bri, you're coming with me," Raquel insisted. "Don't be silly."

Brianna smiled, nodding, "Okay, sure, I guess I have time."

Raquel let go of her hand as they reached the locker room where John and the other guys were getting dressed. She knocked on the door and waited until someone told her to come in.

"Hey, I didn't know you were coming tonight," Randy smiled as she walked into the room, giving her a quick hug.

"Brianna," he nodded at her sister.

"Hi," Bri waved politely.

Raquel looked around for John and spotted him standing near the back wall, phone pressed to his ear. She walked over to tap him on the back when she heard a sound coming from Brianna's purse. She looked over her shoulder at her sibling but Brianna seemed to be looking around as if she couldn't tell where the noise was coming from.

Raquel frowned, clearing her throat. John turned around and smiled, quickly closing his phone and tossing it into his gym bag when he saw them.

"Hey!" he smiled, hugging Raquel tightly. "How are you?"

"Good, good," she looked up at him. "How are _you_?"

"Good," he smiled. He cast a glance over her shoulder at Brianna. "Bri, how ya doin?"

"Not too bad," she shrugged.

"You two are acting weird," Raquel said.

"We are?" Brianna looked surprised.

"Well yeah, I cant remember the last time this guy was happier to see me than you," Raquel teased, noting John's arm that was still draped over her shoulders.

"Brianna knows I'm always happy to see her," John said, walking over and giving her a quick hug.

After a few minutes of catching up, Raquel's interest was piqued. John and Brianna weren't acting normal. They weren't stealing glances at each other and staring at each other like love struck teenagers the way they had been for months. It seemed like they were going out of their way to avoid any kind of physical contact and Raquel could count the number of times they'd looked at each other on one hand.

"I heard we were being invaded by little people."

Raquel turned to see Jeff walking into the room with a gym bag over one shoulder and a plastic bag in his hand.

She smiled in spite of his knock on her height, "Jerk."

"Glad you could make it," he walked over, dropping the gym bag and pulling her into a hug.

"What's in the bag?" she asked.

"Face paint," he answered. "What else?"

She shook her head, "I will never understand you."

Jeff said hi to Randy and John and gave Bri a hug before returning his attention to Raquel.

"You look great," he smiled, obviously pleased at the sight of her face without bruises. The last ones had finally cleared up and Raquel couldn't have been happier. She was still dealing with everything on the inside but at least she didn't look like she'd been in a 12 round boxing match anymore.

"Brianna, can I talk to you for a minute?" John asked quietly.

Brianna nodded, "Sure."

The two excused themselves from the room and Jeff looked at Raquel, confused, "What's up with them?"

Raquel shrugged, "That's what I've been trying to figure out."

* * *

Brianna followed John to a room down the hall. He opened it and gestured for her to go in first. Once he was in the room, he locked the door behind them.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked.

He didn't answer, simply putting his hands on the sides of her face and kissing her passionately. She returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as his hands traveled down her sides and gripped her hips. After a few minutes, Brianna reluctantly pulled her lips from him, resting her forehead against his, "Sorry I left so early this morning. I had to get Raquel and be at the studio before 9."

"It's okay," he shrugged. "I slept in. You wore me out last night."

She laughed, rolling her eyes. She'd picked him up at the airport and then he convinced her that since it was so late, she should just spend the night at his apartment. They hadn't actually gone to sleep until 3:00 AM.

"I'm exhausted," she yawned.

"Well, at least this is the last week everything will be so damn busy," he reminded her. Brooke's Summerslam performance would be over in a few hours and Brianna would be done prepping the So You Think You Can Dance contestants for their tour in 2 weeks. After that, Brianna would be getting a few weeks of much needed rest.

"I know,." she said. "But I'm gonna miss being on the road with you."

"You can still come," he smirked. "Vince has offered you a job like three times now. I promise, I don't mind."

"Yeah, I'm not hurting for money but I don't wanna keep paying for hotel rooms I'm not staying in when I don't have to," she laughed.

"Then don't," he said. "Let's just tell everyone."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"And I just killed the mood," he said as she took a step away from him.

"I'm sorry John," she apologized. "I know how hard this is for you. I just….I cant do it yet. I don't know how to."

She could see his jaw clench and she looked away, feeling guilty. Being with her had to be frustrating for him. She was with him but she wasn't. She was his but she lived with someone else. He was showing an extraordinary amount of patience, putting up with her fear of losing Maya and she just hoped that he could give her a little while longer.

"If you know how hard this is then you're gonna put an end to it soon, right?" he asked, his tone stern.

She nodded, "I will. I promise. I just need to figure out the best way."

"Okay," he nodded.

She ran her fingers over his strong jaw before placing a kiss on his cheek, "I love you."

"You better love me," he tried not to smile as she kissed his other cheek, then brought her lips close to his.

"I do," she smiled, her mouth just barely grazing his.

"Come here," he said, impatiently grabbing her and pulling her into another kiss.

* * *

"I think they went in here," Raquel said pointing to a closed door down the hall from the locker room.

Jeff tried the knob, surprised to see that it was locked.

There was a window a few inches from the door but the blinds were closed.

"Maybe we should just go," Jeff said, taking a step back. "I mean, maybe they're…having a discussion about..something."

"Discussion my ass," Raquel insisted. There was a tiny bit of space left open by the blinds, just enough to see in from the correct angle. Raquel pressed her face against the wall, peering into the room. Her suspicions were confirmed when she spotted John and Brianna. Actually, all she could really see was John's back and Brianna's hands but what they were doing was no mystery. Her sister had some serious explaining to do.


	36. Chapter 36

**Okay my peeps, as always, I apologize for the delay but I get busy sometimes, i cant really help it. I hope there are some people out there that still care about this story. These are the final three chapters so I hope you enjoy them. Please, please, please let me know what you think! Big hugs as always. **

**Chapter 36...**

Brianna smoothed her shirt down and slapped John's hand away from her ass as they walked toward the door.

"Stop it!" she squeaked when he put his arms around her, pulling her back against him.

"I cant help it," he kissed the back of her head. "I'm not gonna get to touch you again until after the show. Do you know how long that is?"

"I know very well how long that is," she turned around, kissing him softly. "Now control yourself. Raquel already thinks she knows something."

"Alright, alright, hands to myself," he said as they walked to the door. He leaned close, whispering in her ear, "Until later tonight."

She smiled, unlocking the door. Her mouth dropped into an 'O' when she saw Raquel standing in front of her, arms crossed over her chest, one eyebrow arched to the ceiling. Jeff was standing behind her looking confused. John still had his face in her hair and she elbowed him sharply in the side.

"Ow, baby what the…" he trailed off when he saw them. "Shit."

"That's all you have to say?" Raquel asked.

"This is not what you think it is," Brianna shook her head.

John moved away, "She's right..don't read too much into this."

"Guys," Jeff ran a hand over his hair. "We kinda _saw_ you. Don't bother."

"Wonderful," Brianna rolled her eyes.

"How did you see anything?" Jeff asked. "The blinds were closed."

Jeff looked over at Raquel who glared, "I'll be asking the questions here."

"Well if you're gonna ask questions, I suggest we go back in there," Brianna said. "This really isn't a hallway conversation."

* * *

Trish looked up when she saw Matt walking into the lockerroom with a basket full of red roses.

"What the hell is that?" she frowned.

"A present," Matt shrugged. "Is Raquel here yet?"

Trish shook her head, "She hasn't been in here. I know she was coming with Brianna. They should be here soon."

Trish was staring at the roses and Matt frowned, "You think these are a bad idea?"

She shook her head, "No, no, I just…It's a surprise. I mean, red roses are.._romantic._"

"I don't really mean it in that way," Matt shook his head. 'I just wanted to do something nice for her."

"You've been doing a lot of nice things for her," Trish pointed out. She'd been trying to find an opportunity to approach this subject with Matt. This seemed like as good a time as any.

"Well, she's been going through a rough time," Matt shrugged. "I don't know, I feel like we've gotten pretty close lately."

"I noticed," Trish nodded. "You seem care about her a lot."

Matt shrugged, "I guess I do."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Raquel asked, sitting next to Brianna in the conference room. John and Brianna had admitted what was going on to she and Jeff and then John and Jeff had to leave to talk to their opponents for the night. Raquel had been hoping that something would happen between John and Brianna for quite some time but now that something _was _going on, she wasn't entirely sure it was the best idea.

"Sure about what?" Brianna asked. "About John? You're the last person I would expect to ask me that."

"I know you're sure about _John_," Raquel explained. "I just want to know if you're sure you want to do this in _this way_."

Raquel knew her sister better than anyone and she knew there was no way she cold be totally comfortable cheating, even on someone like Nick.

Brianna rested her chin on her hand, looking away.

"Bri, you-"

"I love John," Brianna looked back at her. "And I don't love Nick. I don't know if I ever did. But I love Maya. I just don't..I don't know how to keep one and get rid of the other yet…Do you think I'm a horrible person?"

"Of course not," Raquel put her arm around her sister's shoulders. "I know this is hard for you. And I'll do whatever I can to help. But I care about John a lot too. I just want everyone to end up happy…you know, everyone except Nick."

Brianna gave her a surprised look and Raquel shrugged, "What? You know I never liked him."

* * *

_1 Hour Later…_

"Ouch," Randy winced as Jeff's back slammed against the ladder.

Raquel covered her mouth, looking away for a second. The ladder match between Adam and Jeff was getting harder and harder to watch. Adam had just whipped Jeff across the ring and face first into the ladder and was now waiting in the corner while Jeff writhed in pain on the canvas. She knew that both men were prepared for everything that was to happen in the ring but that didn't make it any easier to watch. Jeff slowly struggled to his feet and dodged Adam's attempt at a spear but fell again before he could mount any offense. The crowd booed loudly as Adam picked up another ladder, hoisting it up onto his shoulder as Jeff got to his feet again. Jeff turned around and Adam ran at him, slamming the top of the ladder into Jeff's face.

"Shit," Randy shook his head.

"What?" Raquel looked over at him, confused.

"He didn't get his hands up," Randy explained. "Watch, when he gets up, it's not gonna be pretty."

Randy was right. The camera closed in on Jeff as he was pushing himself up and his forehead was covered in blood.

"Oh my God," Raquel turned away from the monitor.

"Adam tends to work pretty stiff in these types of matches," Randy said. "Jeff knows that. It was his own fault."

"Did anyone ask you whose fault it was?" Raquel frowned at him.

"Sorry," Randy shrugged, laughing. "I was just commenting on what I saw."

"Well stop," she glared at him and Randy put his hands up, walking away.

Raquel thought about apologizing to her friend but she didn't. Randy was always offering his unsolicited opinion. He should expect to get snapped at sometimes.

* * *

Jeff walked through the GP, white towel pressed against his forehead. He could feel the towel getting more and more soaked by the second and he had a terrible stinging pain above his left eye. When he got to the back, Adam was waiting just inside the curtain, "You okay man?"

"I'm good," Jeff assured him. "These things happen."

Jeff patted Adam on the shoulder before walking past. There were quite a few people milling around the backstage area but the first person in front of him was Raquel.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her green eyes wide with concern.

"I'm alright," he shrugged. "Are _you_ okay? You look freaked out."

"Yeah I'm freaked out, you're bleeding all over the place," she explained. "What happened?"

"I just caught the wrong part of the ladder," he shrugged. "Hurt like hell but I'll be okay."

"It doesn't look okay," she gazed up at his forehead.

Jeff had to admit, though he didn't like seeing her upset, her concern was touching. She was sincerely worried about him. He could remember a time when she probably would have laughed at him getting hurt.

"Well, you wanna walk me to the trainer while I get it looked at?" he asked.

"Why don't we just have him come to you?" she suggested.

"It's not that bad," he laughed, shaking his head. "Come on, you can hold my hand if I need stitches."

She frowned at his bloody hands, "As long as you wash them first."

* * *

"Okay everybody's lined up and ready to go," Brianna told Brooke. "You've got about 15 minutes."

Brooke barely responded. The normally bubbly blonde had been quiet, wringing her hands for the last half hour.

"Brooke," Brianna said her name loudly and she looked up, offering an apologetic smile.

"Sorry Brianna," she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm just nervous."

"Nervous about what?" Brianna asked. "You've done this exact routine a thousand times now."

"Yeah but not in front of this many people," Brooke wrung her hands again.

"Okay stop," Brianna pulled her hands apart. "Brooke, if you want to be successful in the music industry then you're gonna have to get used to being in front of this many people. Sometimes even more than this. It's gotta become just a part of what you do."

Brianna wasn't used to the performer's she worked with being nervous. Normally she had to deal with them being a little too confident.

"It's easy for you to say that, you've been in front of huge crowds," Brooke reminded her.

"Yeah, I have," Brianna nodded. "And you're making it a bigger deal than it is. Treat this just like you would treat any of your club shows. You're performing for your fans. That's all."

"You're right," Brooke took a deep breath. "I can do this."

"Yes you can," Brianna nodded.

"Brooke."

Both women turned to see who was calling her name. Randy Orton walked toward them in a t-shirt and his wrestling trunks. The plan for the show was for him to come out at the end of Brooke's performance and attempt to assault her before her father came out for their match. Brooke had shared with Brianna that Randy wasn't exactly thrilled with the storyline that saw him hitting on Brooke and trying to use her as a pawn in the feud with Hulk and he wasn't exactly trying to keep it a secret.

"I need to talk to you," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hi Randy," Brooke said, obviously annoyed.

"Hi Brooke," he said. "I need to talk to you."

Randy shot a look over at Brianna that said _You can go now_

Brooke put a hand on Brianna's arm, clearly not wanting her to leave.

Brianna fought the urge to roll her eyes. This was a lovely spot to be in. Standing between a whiny wannabe pop star and a guy who seemed to hate her for no good reason.

Randy rolled his eyes, "I was asking one of the techs when in your song I'm supposed to come out and they told me to ask you."

Brooke looked panicked. She looked over at Brianna.

Brianna ran a hand through her hair, "You're supposed to come in after the second verse, midway through the chorus. Brooke gets out of the ring and starts playing to the people at ringside, then you come out to interrupt."

"Thanks," Brooke breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so nervous I just keep blanking."

Randy nodded, then walked away without thanking Brianna for her help.

"So he hates you too, huh?" Brooke watched him walk away.

Brianna shrugged, "I guess so."

* * *

Vince stood back as Brooke Hogan and her dancers made their way out to the ring. He was standing at the Gorilla Position, hoping she didn't fall flat on her face as she walked out to the ring. He'd known her since she was a little girl and he loved her dearly but she wasn't the brightest bulb. He looked around for a monitor and found one a few feet away. Brianna Kavner was standing in front of it and by the look on her face, Vince would say she was thinking the same thing he was about Brooke. Brianna and Raquel's father must truly have amazing genes. He had produced three of the most attractive women Vince could ever remember seeing. He'd gotten extremely lucky getting Raquel to sign with the company. He still didn't understand why she'd agreed. He wondered if lightning could strike twice.

He walked over, smiling, "You did a great job with her, you know?"

"I did my best with what I had," Brooke shrugged. "Brooke's a sweet girl but.."

"Enough said," Vince put up a hand. "You're a good person, doing all of this for free."

"It's been fun," she shrugged.

"I know your sister's thoroughly enjoyed you being here," Vince said. "I'm glad you've been able to help her through this tough time."

"She's stronger than anyone I know," Brianna smiled. "She'll be fine."

"It seems like you've made a lot of friends around here," Vince observed.

"Yeah, everyone's great," she nodded.

"Seems like this business is in your blood between your sister and your grandfather," he smiled.

"I suppose," she raised a brow. "Mr. McMahon, I get the feeling that this isn't just a friendly conversation."

"I must admit, I did want to talk to you about a business matter," Vince didn't see a point in beating around the bush anymore.

"I want to offer you a job," he explained.

She laughed, "A job doing what?"

"As a diva," he answered. "I think you'd be an incredible addition."

"Mr. McMahon, that is a flattering offer, really," she smiled. "But I'm under contract with Fox. I got in huge trouble the time I appeared on camera on Raw. I couldn't possibly accept your offer."

"When is your contract up?" he asked, not willing to give up yet.

"This time next year," she answered.

"Would you consider my offer then?" he asked.

She smiled, "Who knows what the future will hold?"


	37. Chapter 37

-1**Chapter 37...**

Raquel dropped her purse onto her couch and plopped down next to it.

"You want something to drink?" Jeff asked, walking into the kitchen. He had driven her back to the hotel while Matt went to pick up some food.

"Just some water," she requested, looking around for the TV remote.

"Where's Troy?" he asked, walking into the room with a beer in one hand and his water in the other.

"Out of town," she answered. "Since when do I have beer?"

"I bought some last time I was here," he answered. "You didn't notice it?"

"No," she laughed, shaking her head. "I didn't realize you'd moved in."

"This has been kind of a second home lately," he smirked, sitting next to her.

"Yeah you're sort of wearing out you're welcome," she frowned. "You should probably stop coming around so much."

"And what would you do if I stop coming around?" he asked.

"Do you want me to say I'd be lost without you?" she smirked.

He smiled at her, "I already know that. You don't need to say it."

She didn't want to tell him but the more time she spent around him, the more she thought that was true. Jeff had become such a big part of her life and she didn't know what she'd do if he wasn't anymore. He was really important to her.

"I thought you country folk were supposed to be humble," she teased.

"We are," he put an arm around her. "We're also very aware of our place in the world."

"You mean like being at Nascar races?"

"You think you're funny, huh?" he asked.

"Everyone thinks I'm funny," she shrugged, putting her water bottle on the coffee table.

"You know what I think is funny?" he asked turning toward her.

She raised an eyebrow at him and before she could get away, his hands were on her sides, mercilessly tickling her.

Raquel squirmed and giggled, trying desperately to get away from him.

"Stop," she gasped between breaths.

"I'm sorry, I cant hear ya, my ears are all messed up from the gunshots when we shoot cans in the backyard," he said, emphasizing his accent.

"Stop," she laughed, scooting away. He leaned over her and one of his hands slipped under her shirt. He halted his attack and their eyes met.

Raquel could tell he thought he'd done something wrong. He moved his hand away from her skin and Raquel immediately missed it's warmth.

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling her shirt back down. "I didn't mean to-"

Raquel leaned up, capturing his lips with hers. He tensed and Raquel immediately regretted what she'd done. She pulled away, "I-I..umm.."

* * *

Jeff looked down at Raquel, completely confused. She'd kissed him and then pulled away in what felt like half a second.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking sheepish. She scooted out from under him, pressing her back against the arm of the couch. "I just thought that you wanted…"

"Raquel I just..I don't want to hurt you," he said. "I mean after what happened…"

She looked away, obviously embarrassed and Jeff felt like an ass.

"I understand," she said. "You've seen me at my worst. I don't know why you would want me after that."

"Raquel that's not it," Jeff insisted. He did want her. He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself or anyone else but every part of him wanted her. It had been that way for a while. "You are beautiful and sexy and…_amazing_."

He moved over, sitting beside her.

"Then what is it?" she asked, finally looking at him.

He looked into her eyes and at that moment, he couldn't remember what the problem was. Raquel was an incredible woman and she wanted him. That was all he could think about. He leaned over, kissing her softly. Her lips felt so good against his, he wasn't sure if he could ever stop kissing her. His hand came to rest at the back of her neck and he pulled her closer, their tongues tangling. A moan escaped her and she grabbed the front of his t-shirt, pulling him toward her.

"Raquel…" he breathed against her lips. "I.."

The door opened and Jeff pulled away, standing up quickly.

"Who's ready for Chinese food?" Matt's voice boomed through the apartment.

And that was it. Jeff remembered the reason why he tensed when Raquel kissed him. Matt.

* * *

"Well, at least Raquel and Jeff are the only ones who know," Brianna sighed as they walked into his apartment. He dropped his keys on the table by the door and put his arms around her.

"I'm gonna tell you something and you have to promise you wont get mad at me," he kissed her shoulder.

"What?" she turned to face him.

"They aren't the _only_ ones who know," he admitted.

"What?" she stared. "Who else knows?"

John sighed, leaning against the wall, "Randy."

"Randy?!" she stared. "Seriously?"

"He figured it out," John shrugged. "I didn't tell him anything."

"That explains why he had such an attitude with me today," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What'd he do?" John asked, walking into the living room.

"Doesn't matter," Brianna shrugged. "It's not like Randy hating me is new."

"He doesn't hate you," John said. "He just…"

"Hates me?" she smirked.

"He's my best friend," John shrugged, taking her hand and pulling her onto the couch with him. "He doesn't like the situation we're in. Doesn't mean he doesn't like _you_."

"If you say so," she shrugged.

"Can you blame him for being concerned?" he asked.

Brianna frowned, looking over at him, "What kind of question is that?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "It's just a question."

"Can I blame a person who doesn't even know me for not liking me?" she made a face. "Yeah, that's a great question."

"Don't get like that," he took her hand. "I was just..never mind."

"No, what?" she asked.

"Randy was calling me an idiot this morning," he said. "And I didn't have much of an argument. Have you thought about when you're finally gonna tell Nick?"

She looked down and he sighed, "I'll take that as a no."

"John I-"

"You know what..I don't even wanna talk about it," he put his hands up. "I'm gonna go to bed."

* * *

_2 Weeks later…_

John groaned, a grating noise pulling him out of his comfortable slumber. He couldn't figure out what the hell the noise was but if it didn't stop soon, he was going to find whatever it was and smash it. He and Brianna hadn't fallen asleep until somewhere around 3 in the morning.

The noise started again and John opened his eyes. His gaze caught Brianna's shoulder and he momentarily forgot why he was so annoyed. He kissed the soft skin, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against her. If someone had told him a year ago that he'd be waking up next to Brianna Kavner, he would have told them they were completely insane but there she was, beautiful as ever. Her hair was spread over the pillow, the soft curves of her body covered by nothing but a sheet. They'd woken up together every day for the last week. Nick was working night shifts so at least for a few days, he could pretend that she was his.

He only wished her damn phone would stop buzzing on the night stand.

"Baby," he nudged her. "Baby, wake up."

"No," she groaned, pushing him away.

"Come on," he reached over her, picking up the phone. His eyes were still a little blurry but after blinking a few times, he could see the caller's name. Maya.

"Babe, it's Maya…pick up."

Brianna woke up quickly, taking the phone from him and answering the call, "Hey munchkin….No I'm awake sweetie, what's up?"

John kissed the side of her head and got up, walking into the bathroom to take a shower. He made it quick, finishing up after about 10 minutes. When he walked back into the bedroom, Brianna was in her underwear pulling her jeans on.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

"Maya begged her grandmother to bring her home a day early," Brianna answered, picking her shirt up from the floor. "They're on their way now. And she reminded me that we promised to take her out the day she comes back."

"Give me five minutes, I'll get dressed," he walked over to one of his drawers, pulling out a pair of jeans.

"You don't have to come," she pulled on her shirt.

"She wants me to, doesn't she?" he asked.

"Well yeah but..how are we supposed to explain showing up together?" she asked.

"Your car is here, so is mine," he shrugged. "You leave first. I'll show up a few minutes later, we say you called me on your way."

"Okay," she said, grabbing her phone and keys. Her purse was by the front door. She kissed him quickly, "I'll see you there."

She rushed out of the bedroom and John looked out the window, taking a deep breath. He really wasn't sure how much longer he could do this.

* * *

"He kissed you?!" Brianna exclaimed, so excited she dropped her keys on the ground next to her car.

"He kissed me, I kissed him, I don't know, I just know there was kissing," Raquel sighed.

"Good kissing?" Brianna smirked.

"Very good kissing," Raquel answered. "But that's beside the point."

"So what happened after he kissed you?" Brianna asked, getting into the car and starting it.

"We were on the couch and he was on top of me and then Matt walked in," Raquel explained.

"Ouch," Brianna winced. "What did Matt say?"

"Nothing," Raquel answered. "Jeff jumped off of me like I was on fire. Matt had no idea what happened."

"Well that's good," Brianna said. Matt clearly had a crush on Raquel and that could have been beyond awkward.

"Why is that good?" Raquel asked.

Brianna shook her head. Her sister was one of the smartest, most perceptive people she knew. It was amazing to her that she hadn't realized that Matt liked her, "Nevermind. So..what now?"

"I don't know," Raquel sighed. "I mean when we kissed it was..it was great but then..the way he moved away. I don't get it."

"Sweetie, don't read too much into that," Brianna insisted. "You'll drive yourself crazy. Trust me, he was probably just caught off guard by someone coming in."

"But then the rest of the night he stayed on the other end of the couch. He spent the night in Troy's room again."

"So he's nervous," Brianna shrugged. "There's been a lot of drama the last few weeks. Believe me, Jeff cares about you. A lot. And I know you care about him."

Raquel sighed and Brianna knew her sister was struggling with her feelings, "I do..I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to do about it."

"I'm not gonna tell you what to do," Brianna said. "I'm hardly one to be doling out relationship advice…just do whatever feels right. You're the smartest person I know. You'll figure it out."

Raquel took another deep breath, "I hope so."

* * *

"Dude, are you even listening to me?" Matt asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He had been talking to Jeff for a good five minutes and he was pretty sure his brother hadn't heard a word. He had his arms crossed as well and he was looking out the window.

"Jeff!" Matt kicked the bottom of his brother's chair.

"What the hell is your problem?" Jeff put his hand on the wall to keep himself from falling over. "God damn it."

"Sorry, I was trying to get your attention," Matt shrugged.

"Has anybody ever told you that you act like an attention starved little girl sometimes?" Jeff asked, opening his water bottle.

Matt frowned. Jeff had been snapping at him all day and he was beginning to lose his patience.

"Alright, what's your problem?" Matt asked. "You've been on the rag all day and it's getting annoying."

"You're gross," Jeff made a face. "and I don't have a problem. You're the one trying to kick me out of my damn chair."

"Because you're in another world, not listening to me," Matt shrugged. "You deserved it."

"Okay Matt," Jeff took off his sunglasses and tossed them onto the table. "You have my undivided attention. What the hell is so important?"

* * *

"I just wanted to talk to you about something," Matt sighed.

Jeff felt a little guilty for snapping at his brother. Matt was right, he hadn't been listening to him at all. He couldn't stop thinking about Raquel long enough to listen to anyone. He just kept replaying their kiss in his mind. It wasn't like it was the first time they'd kissed. They'd done much more than that. It was just…something was different. It felt like the first time because this time they knew each other. They weren't two random people that met at a party anymore. Things between them were..for lack of a better word…deeper. That kiss felt better than any one he'd ever had. He realized he'd stopped paying attention to Matt again and he shook his head, leaning forward on his elbows, "Sorry man..what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well…it's about Raquel," Matt looked sheepish.

"What about her?" Jeff tried not to frown.

"I…well, I don't really know how to say this," Matt looked out the window and then back at him. "I'm in love with her."

Jeff stared, not able to form words. He knew Matt liked her. A lot. But he had no idea that Matt's feelings were _this_ strong.

"Are you gonna say anything?" Matt asked.

"I don't really know what to say," Jeff shrugged. "That's uh…that's interesting."

"Interesting?" Matt frowned. "What does that mean?"

"I just didn't know you were that serious about her," Jeff shrugged. "You never said anything about it before."

"I figured you knew," Matt shrugged. "I didn't think I had to say anything."

"Well..what are you planning on doing about it?" Jeff asked, not sure what he wanted Matt to say. He felt terrible not telling Matt what happened but he just couldn't. Not after what Matt just revealed.

"I don't know," Matt shrugged. "I probably don't have a chance. "

Jeff didn't say anything.

"You're supposed to tell me I have a chance, stupid," Matt joked. "What kind of brother are you?"

Jeff ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply, "That's a good question."

* * *

"His car wasn't outside so I guess he's not here," Brianna shrugged as they walked toward her door.

"Well if he's not here," he put his arms around her while she looked through her purse for her keys. "And we have a few minutes before Maya gets here.."

He kissed the back of her neck and she unlocked the door, turning around and grabbing his shirt, pulling him in with her.

John smiled "I am gonna-"

"Baby, is that you?"

Brianna jumped away from John, her green eyes wide, "Nick, what are you doing here?"

He walked into the foyer, drying his hands with a dish towel, "Where were you baby?"

He stopped when he saw John, "What's he doing here?"

John rolled his eyes, trying not to count the reasons he couldn't stand Nick.

"Maya called, she's gonna be here in a little while," Brianna explained. She asked me to call John. We promised we'd take her out as soon as she gets back."

Nick looked back and forth between the two of them and then smiled, taking Brianna's hand and pulling her against him. He took her chin in his hand and kissed her.

John's first instinct was to beat the hell out of him but he held back, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth.

Brianna pulled away from her fiancée, casting an quick glance back at John. He looked away. He felt sick to his stomach after seeing Nick kiss her.

"Why didn't Maya call me?" Nick asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged.

They heard a key in the door and then Gia came in, smiling from ear to ear, "Look who I found out in the hallway."

Maya came bounding in, curls flying all over the place. John relaxed a little when he saw her. She ran straight for Brianna, almost knocking her over.

Brianna picked her up, spinning her around and then squeezing her tightly, "Oh my gosh, I have missed you _so much_."

"I missed you too," Maya gushed. "I don't wanna go to grandma's anymore."

"We'll see what we can do about that," Brianna smiled.

"Hey John," Gia smiled at him.

He gave her a quick hug, mussing her hair, "Hey Gi…how are things with the boyfriend? Do I need to kick his ass?"

"Things with Brian are great," Gia smiled. "No ass kicking. But thank you for that offer."

"It'll stand forever," he assured her.

"John!" Maya beamed as Brianna put her down. "You came!"

"I never break a promise to a pretty girl," he smiled, picking her up. "And _you_ are my favorite girl. How can I miss a chance to hang out with you?"

"You cant," she smiled, hugging his neck.

"Gia, you wanna come with us?" John asked, pretending Nick wasn't even in the room. He couldn't help but smile at Maya running to him first.

"Can I bring Brian?" she asked.

John rolled his eyes and Brianna laughed, "Of course you can bring him."

"Anybody gonna invite me?" Nick asked, walking over to John and Maya.

"Hi daddy," she waved, not making any move to get down.

"Hey munchkin," he smiled, reaching for her. John put her down and she rushed back to Brianna, "Can you help me take my bags upstairs?"

"I got these," Gia said, getting the suitcases out of the hall. She obviously wanted to get out of the awkwardness.

"Do you wanna go daddy?" Maya asked, though she didn't sound thrilled with the idea.

"I'd love to kid but I cant. I'm picking up some extra hours at work today," he explained.

"You hate working overtime," Brianna laughed.

Nick shrugged, "Cant hurt to have some extra money for the wedding."

He gave John a smile.

"That's cool of you," John smiled back. "I just figured Bri was paying for everything like she always does."

"So do you wanna change clothes munch or do you wanna just go?" Brianna quickly changed the subject.

"Let's just go."

* * *

"Hello," Raquel answered the phone cheerfully.

"Hey Rocky," Matt smiled, pacing back and forth in his hotel room. He hoped his nerves didn't come across in his voice.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Not too much," he answered. "Me and Jeff just checked into the hotel."

"You guys aren't sharing a room again are you?" she asked. "I find that creepy, you know?"

"We have our own rooms," he laughed. "What are you up to?"

"Not too much," Raquel answered. "I was actually just going through a bunch of clothes I never wear and deciding what to give away."

"Well that's generous of you," he said.

"It is," she agreed. "Some of this stuff still has tags."

"Then why are you giving it away?" he asked.

"I don't know," she laughed. "I guess I just don't like it anymore."

"Interesting, well, as much as I love talking about your closet..I had something I wanted to ask you," he sat on his couch.

"Whatever it is, you know I'll say yes," she said. "I cant say no to you."

"I hope not," he smirked. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me tomorrow."

"Sure," she answered quickly. "Is Jeff coming?"

"Uh, no," Matt answered. "I was thinking just me and you. Jeff's doing…something. I don't know."

"Oh, okay," she said. "Well sure, we can go to dinner. Pick me up at 8."

"Perfect, I will," he smiled. "I'll uh…I guess I'll see you then."

* * *

"We'll be back in a few minutes guys," Brian announced as he, Maya, and Gia walked away. They were taking Maya on a carousel.

Brianna looked over at John who was looking down at his phone. He had barely spoken to her the entire time they were shopping. He had been great with Maya and had even been somewhat nice to Brian but he was acting like she wasn't around. She walked over to his side of the table and sat next to him, putting her hand over the phone, "_John_."

He looked up at her expectantly but didn't say anything.

"Are you planning on talking to me today?" she asked.

"I have talked to you," he shrugged, putting his phone down on the table.

"Barely," she said. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you serious?"

"Yes I'm serious," she nodded. "You were fine this morning and now you don't wanna talk to me."

"You don't remember the part in the middle there where your _fiancée _tried to shove his tongue down your throat?" he asked.

"That's not my fault," Brianna insisted. "And I didn't kiss him back."

"Do you have any idea how that felt?" he asked. "Do you get what it's like for me to have to sit and watch him kiss you? I wanted to beat the shit out of him for touching my woman but I couldn't. Because you're not really mine. He thinks he can just touch you whenever he wants. I cant handle that."

"John I'm sorry," she tried to take his hand but he pulled his away.

* * *

"What about when I'm not there?" John asked. He had been trying to hold in his anger all day but she brought it up so he figured they might as well discuss it.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Does he kiss you?" he asked. "Does he touch you?"

He prayed her answer would be what he wanted because if she said that anything had happened between them, he would lose it.

"Why would you ask me that?" she frowned.

John shrugged.

"I've told you before, I cant remember the last time Nick and I were together that way," she answered. "John, I love you."

"I know," he nodded. "Right now that just isn't making me feel better."

* * *

Brianna was about to say something else when her phone rang. She figured John wasn't going to say much else to her so she looked down at it, seeing Jeff's name.

"I'll be back," she told John before walking away, answering the call, "What's up Hardy?"

"I need to talk to you," he sounded strange, almost defeated.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Before I tell you this, I need you to promise me you will _not_ tell your sister anything I tell you," he said.

"Which sister?" Brianna smiled.

"Bri."

"Okay, okay, my lips are sealed," Brianna agreed. "What's going on?"

"Matt told me he's in love with Raquel," Jeff blurted.

"Whoa," Brianna stopped walking. "Wow."

"Yeah," Jeff sighed. "And the problem is…I am too."

"Well that I knew," she shrugged.

"You did?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did," she said. "And you need to tell her."

"I cant," Jeff argued. "I-"

"Yes you can," she insisted. "Jeff, you have to."

"You don't understand," Jeff insisted. "You know, I shouldn't have told you about this Bri, I'm sorry. Just, please don't say anything to her."

Brianna wished she hadn't made that promise. It was done now though.

"I wont tell her," Brianna agreed. "But you should."

"I'll talk to you later," Jeff ended the call.


	38. The End

**Chapter 38...**

_10 PM_

"Well that was..fun," Brianna plopped down on the couch. Maya was finally tucked in upstairs after riding a two hour cotton candy high. Brian and Gia were on their way back to Brian's apartment. Now it was just John and Brianna. John looked over at her, wishing things weren't so tense. He hated her being unhappy. He hated being unhappy himself. He just didn't know what to do. This situation wasn't getting any easier.

"Are you still not talking to me?" she asked, looking over at him.

"Bri, I'm sorry," he shrugged. "What do you want me to say? It's been a rough couple weeks."

"You seemed happy this morning," she shrugged.

"Yeah, I was happy this morning," he agreed. "I was happy waking up in my house with my girlfriend. Then we come here to your house and you're somebody else's fiancée. I cant be happy when I have to see that."

She didn't say anything, looking out the window.

"Brianna, I love you, you know that," John said. "But every time we have to duck into a room and hide and every time you spend the night here..I wonder if this is as real to you as it is to me."

"Are you kidding me?" she turned to him. "I'm in this just as much as you are."

"How is that possible?" John asked, growing angry. "I'm with _you_. That's it. You're _engaged_ to somebody else. You _sleep in a bed_ with someone else."

"It hasn't been like that with Nick in a _long_ time," she glared.

"I don't care!" he yelled. "I want you all the time. I don't want half of you. You need to figure out whether or not you're ever gonna be ready to give me that."

"I told you I will," she argued. "I just-"

"You just don't know how," he threw his hands up. "You just don't know when. When the hell is it gonna be the right time? You say you love me but you cant even leave that loser for me?"

* * *

"I do love you!" Brianna insisted. "No one forced you into this. _You_ said you were willing to wait as long as it took."

She could understand why John was frustrated but she didn't like him making it seem like she was trying to have her cake and eat it too. This was just as hard for her.

Before either of them could say anything else they heard the front door slam hard.

Brianna felt as if she'd been struck. Her stomach dropped to her feet and she turned her head, her gaze falling on her fiancée.

"Nick…" was all she could get out. She could see in his eyes that he'd heard everything they said. There was no way he couldn't, they weren't exactly whispering.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nick asked, his eyes wide and confused.

Brianna knew she had to at least attempt damage control, "We were just..um…we were having a stupid argument. It was-"

"I heard what it was," Nick glared. He shook his head, running a hand over his hair, 'I knew it. I _fucking_ knew it."

"Nick, it's not what you think," she tentatively stepped closer to him. He looked like he was about to blow and she wasn't entirely sure what to do. She looked over her shoulder at John, "John, _tell_ him."

She gave him a pleading look, praying that he would help. This wasn't the right time or the right way for Nick to find out the truth.

* * *

Brianna begged him with her eyes and a part of John wanted to make up some lie, find some way to make this easier on her but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd meant what he said to her earlier, he couldn't do this anymore.

"Brianna, we need to just tell him the truth," John shrugged.

Her mouth dropped open, she stared at him as if he'd grown another head. "_What_?"

"If you don't tell him..I will," John stood his ground.

Tears filled Brianna's eyes and she looked back and forth between the two men. She settled her gaze on Nick, her voice shaking, "I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry?" he stared at her. "Is that supposed to make it okay? You're sorry? How long has this been going on?"

Brianna put a hand over her mouth, holding back a sob.

"Since the night of Brooke's concert, the night we almost fought," John explained.

"So you came over here and threatened me," Nick squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his forehead. "And then you went to the hotel and _fucked_ my fiancée?"

"We didn't plan it," John shrugged. He didn't know what else to say.

"You son of a bitch!" Nick charged toward John.

"Nick stop it," Brianna grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "_Please_, just _calm down_."

"Calm down," he turned to her. "You've been fucking this guy behind my back and you want me to calm down?"

"We didn't mean for you to find out like this," John explained.

"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't," Nick looked disgusted. He brushed past Brianna, walking to the bottom of the stairs. "Maya!"

* * *

Brianna felt like her heart was going to stop when he yelled Maya's name. She grabbed his arm again, "What are you doing?"

"Getting my daughter so we can get the fuck out of here," Nick spat at her. "I wouldn't want her to be in the way of you and your new boyfriend."

"Nick, she's sleeping," Brianna pleaded with him. "Please, let's just..just leave her where she is."

Nick stared at her as if he was really seeing her for the first time. He shook his head, a sad smile spreading across his face, "That's all you care about. She's all you care about."

Brianna sniffed but couldn't come up with anything to say. Everything was unraveling in front of her and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it.

"If I tried to walk out of here by myself, you'd let me," Nick accused. "You wouldn't give two shits but because I wanna take _my daughter_, you're freaking out."

"I just don't want-"

"I don't _care_ what you _want_!" he yelled at her.

John stepped in, "Don't talk to her like that."

"Both of you can go to hell," Nick glared before walking up the stairs. "Maya! Maya get up!"

Brianna followed him, "No, no, Nick _please_."

"Shut up!" Nick turned on her. "Just shut up."

Brianna could hear Maya moving around in her room. She felt John put a hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it off, following Nick up the stairs. Nick pushed the door open and grabbed Maya's suitcase that she hadn't even finished unpacking.

"Put on some clothes," he ordered the young girl. '"We're leaving."

Nick put her suitcase down in the hall and then stormed into he and Brianna's bedroom.

Maya stumbled sleepily out of her bedroom, jeans obviously pulled hastily over her pajamas.

She walked over to Brianna who tried to wipe away her tears before the young girl could see.

"Where are we going?" Maya asked.

"She's not going anywhere," Nick walked out of the bedroom, gym bag stuffed with clothes. He picked up Maya's suitcase and walked over, taking Maya's hand. "Come on, it's time to go."

"Brianna's not going?" Maya started to look panicked.

"No!" Nick yelled. "Now come on."

"Don't yell at her like that!" Brianna insisted as Maya wrapped her arms around her legs. Brianna ran her hand over Maya's curls, trying to comfort the frightened child.

"Daddy, I don't wanna go," Maya pleaded. "Cant I just go back to sleep?"

"No, we have to get out of here," Nick insisted. "Brianna wants to be alone with John."

"Nick, just let her stay tonight," Brianna pleaded. "We can figure this all out in the morning."

"She's not your kid Brianna," Nick pulled Maya's arms from around her, lifting his daughter up into his arms. "And now she never will be."

Nick walked down the stairs and Brianna's heart broke as Maya's big hazel eyes looked up at her, confused and scared. All she could do was stare. She knew there was no way that Nick would listen to her and the truth was, she couldn't stop him. He was right. Maya wasn't hers.

When she heard the door slam, she felt like it hit her. It rocked her whole body. She felt like her legs were about to give out so she sat down on the stairs, tears filling her eyes until she couldn't see.

* * *

John walked up the steps, heart breaking for Brianna. He couldn't stand to see her so upset. She'd broken into sobs, her head in her hands. He knew this wasn't how she'd wanted Nick to find out about them.

He knelt in front of her, "Bri…baby-"

She looked up at him and John was taken back by the icy look in her eyes.

"Get out."

"Baby I-"

She got up, walking down the stairs, "_Get out_."

"Brianna," he followed her. "Come on, talk to me."

He caught up to her, taking her arm. She yanked it away, turning to face him, "I told you that if you couldn't do this, we didn't have to. We could wait. But you said you could handle it. You said you wanted to be with me no matter what and you'd give me time."

"I know and-"

"Then _why_ did you do that to me?" she cried. "Why did he have to find out right here, right now with Maya in bed upstairs?"

"He had to have heard out in the hall, what was I supposed to do?" John asked.

"You didn't even _try_ to hide it!" Brianna yelled, pushing him away from her.

"I've _been_ hiding it!" John retorted. "I've been hiding it this whole time. Brianna I'm sorry it went down that way but it had to happen eventually. I have done _everything_ you asked me to, _exactly_ how you asked me to because I _love_ you. If we didn't tell him today, when were you gonna do it?"

"Soon, I told you that!" she insisted. "But it doesn't matter now. Because now he knows and I don't know if he's ever gonna let me see Maya again."

"Baby-"

"Get out," she glared through her tears. "_Get out_!"

John knew she wasn't about to budge. She needed some time to cool off and after what just happened, he had to give it to her. He walked toward the door, stopping to turn and look back at her. She had her back to him and wasn't about to turn around.

"You sure you wanna be alone right now?" he asked.

"I don't wanna be alone," she answered. She turned, "But I don't want you here."

Her words hurt but John knew she didn't really mean it. She was hurting too.

He watched as she walked up the stairs, not once looking back at him. He took a deep breath and walked out the front door, closing it softly behind him. They would get past this. He loved her and she loved him. That was all that mattered.

* * *

_1 Week Later…_

"Bri, I think you should just talk to him," Raquel advised as her sister grabbed water bottles out of the refrigerator. The icy glare she got in response was enough to give Raquel a chill.

"Come on," Raquel pleaded, accepting the bottle her sister handed to her. "You love him."

"And?" Brianna raised a brow.

Raquel couldn't remember ever seeing Brianna like this. She was being so difficult. She wasn't trying to understand John's side at all. She was just..angry.

"Can we talk about something else please?" Brianna requested. "I have a headache and Nick's coming over later to pick up the rest of his things."

"Bri I'm sorry," Raquel put her hand over hers.

Brianna shook her head, "Subject change..Please."

"Okay…umm…I'm going to dinner with Matt tonight," Raquel shrugged. "Jeff's staying at the hotel, he's got some kind of phone interview."

"Sure he does," Brianna rolled her eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, I'm sorry, I'm just cranky," Brianna rubbed her eyes. "Where are you guys going?"

"No clue," she shrugged. "Doesn't really matter, you know? It's just Matt."

* * *

Brianna took a deep breath, remembering the promise she made to Jeff. She swore to her friend that she wouldn't tell Raquel about his feelings or Matt's but she had to do something.

"Have you thought about talking to Jeff?" Brianna asked.

Raquel shook her head, "I don't know what to say. Hey Jeff I wanna be your girlfriend."

"Okay, you don't have to revert to elementary school but…I think you two really need to talk," Brianna said. "I've never seen you like this."

"Like what?" Raquel asked.

"In love," Brianna rested her chin on her head. "You're in love with him."

Raquel laughed, shaking her head and looking away.

"Am I wrong?"

* * *

Raquel didn't know how to respond to her sister's question. She hadn't really been trying to classify her feelings for Jeff, she just knew that they were strong.

"I don't wanna think about this right now," Raquel sighed.

"Because I'm right," Brianna said. "Raquel don't be afraid to tell him how you feel. I think you'll be surprised by the reaction you get."

Raquel shrugged, "When I figure out how I feel, I'll let you know."

* * *

_2 Hours Later…_

"Nick, you don't have to do this," Brianna insisted as her ex shoved more of his clothes into a box.

"Brianna stop it," he put a hand up. He hadn't listened to a word she said since he got there. He'd been packing up for two hours and he would barely look at her. She felt terrible. He looked tired and sad. She'd hurt him and she knew there wasn't anything she could do to fix it.

He walked past her out into the hall and she followed as he went into Maya's room. He turned, glaring at her, "I asked you to have this packed up."

"I know but.." she started wringing her hands. "I was just hoping that maybe-"

"Maybe what?" he asked angrily. "You were hoping I would leave my daughter with you."

"No, that's not it, I was just hoping that maybe we could keep some of her things here, you know just in case-"

"Stop," he put his hands up again. "I cant even look at you right now."

"Nick, I don't know how many times I can tell you I'm sorry," she said, feeling tears coming again. She'd been crying for days. She was surprised she still had tears left.

"I know you're sorry," he said. "I heard you."

"Then why wont you talk to me?" she pleaded.

"Because it's hard Brianna." he shook his head. "You don't get it. Not only did you cheat on me but now…"

"Now what?" she asked.

"Now I know you never really loved me," Nick shook his head.

Brianna didn't know what to say. He was furious and he had a right to be. He was right.

"You cant even admit it, can you?" he asked.

"I _tried_, Nick," she sniffed. "I tried as hard as I could..I _cared _about you, I _really _did."

"But you didn't love me," he said. "You loved _John_, right? So what was I this whole time, just a god damn stand in?"

"No!" she insisted. "It was never like that. I didn't even _think_ about John until…until he showed up."

"And the second you saw him, you tossed aside everything you had with me," he pointed.

"That's not true!" she argued. "I didn't _want_ this to happen."

She knew in her heart that she meant what she was saying but she couldn't blame Nick for the look of disbelief on his face. She'd handled everything in the wrong way. She should have come clean the second she realized that she was having feelings for John again but she thought, at the time, that she could push them away.

"You know, I know I'm not perfect," he said. "And I may not have been the _love of your life_ but at least I never cheated on you."

His words stung but she didn't respond.

"Do you realize that?" he asked. "That you're giving up what we had for your high school sweetheart who fucked some other girl and broke your heart?"

Brianna looked away.

"You told me once that he hurt you more than _anyone _else ever has," he reminded her. "And _that's _what you gave up our relationship for. _That's _what you're giving _Maya _up for."

"I don't want to give her up," she insisted. "I'm the closest thing to a mother she's ever had and I would _never, ever_ abandon her."

Nick picked up another box, shaking his head at her, "You already did."

* * *

Raquel wrapped a towel around herself and wiped the mirror so she could see herself. It was still nice for her to see her face without those awful bruises. She thought back to that first night in the hospital, the first time that she saw herself in a mirror. She looked and felt like a completely different person. She remembered wondering whose face she was looking at because it couldn't possibly have been hers. Then, she thought about waking up in that terribly uncomfortable hospital beds with someone holding her hand, gently stroking their thumb over her knuckles. Her eyes had opened slowly and there was Jeff, half asleep leaning back in his chair. He spent an entire day there before anyone could kick him out. Almost every time she'd woken up, he was there. He waited on her hand and foot. He talked to her, made her smile, made her laugh. He didn't care that she looked like a different person. He just cared about _her_. She was no stranger to men paying her attention but with Jeff it was different. He made her feel like she was the most important person in the world to him and she loved that. She loved _him_. She hadn't truly realized it until that moment but there it was, right in front of her face. She was in love with Jeff. Now she just needed to tell him.

* * *

_1 Hour Later…_

Matt sat in his car, waiting outside Raquel's building. He'd tried calling at least 5 times and she hadn't answered. The doorman let him up to check on her but she wasn't there. At first he was angry but now he was just worried. Where the hell was she?

* * *

Jeff walked over to the door when he heard a knock.

"It's about time," he mumbled, picking up his wallet and walking to the door. He'd ordered room service an hour earlier and he was about ready to start gnawing his own foot off. He pulled the door open, surprised to see Raquel standing on the other side. She looked painfully beautiful in jeans and a simple black shirt. Her brown waves flowed over her shoulders and she wasn't wearing a stitch of makeup. He liked her best with nothing on her face. She looked perfect.

"Hi," she smiled, seeming a little nervous.

"Hey," he smiled, stepping aside. "Come in."

"Thanks," she walked past him, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, sitting on the couch. "I thought you were having dinner with Matt."

"I was going to," she nodded. "But I was about to get ready and I just…I couldn't."

"Why not?" he asked.

"I needed to talk to you first," she sat beside him. "And if I don't tell you what I have to tell you right now…I don't know if I'll ever say it."

Jeff took a deep breath, "What is it?"

* * *

Raquel clenched her hands together, trying to collect her thoughts. She'd never done this before and she had no idea what to say.

"It's okay, you know you can talk to me," he assured her.

She smiled, nodding, "I know..I can talk to you about anything. Jeff, you're one of my best friends. You've been really important to me the last few months."

He nodded, "You're important to me too."

She smiled, "The reason I'm here is that…I wanna tell you that you're more than just a friend to me. I've never felt like this about anyone before…I…"

She took a deep breath, "I'm in love with you."

Raquel bit her bottom lip, waiting for him to say something back. There was a silence that stretched on for eons.

"Raquel…" he looked surprised. "I…I don't know what to say."

"Saying you feel the same way would make this a lot less embarrassing," she half joked.

"I…I wish I could say that," he said quietly, looking almost pained.

"What?" she stared.

"Raquel, you mean so much to me," he insisted, taking her hand. "I care about you _so much_."

"You're just not in love with me?" she felt completely humiliated and deflated. Tears sprung to her eyes. She looked away, not wanting him to see her cry. "I cant believe I thought…"

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

She pulled her hand away, "I should go."

"You don't have to-"

"No, I do have to," she stood up, walking toward the door.

"Raquel-"

She rushed out of the room as quickly as her feet could carry her. She could barely see anything as she walked down the hall, her eyes filling up with tears. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She pushed the button for the elevator over and over, praying it would come before Jeff came after her. Once it open, she rushed inside, pressing the close door button. She put a hand over her mouth as sobs threatened to overtake her. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have read everything wrong? Her phone rang and she pulled it out of her purse, throwing it against the wall. She slid down the wall, clenching her hands in her hair, unable to hold back anymore. For the first time in her life, she told someone she loved them first…and he didn't love her back.

* * *

_Later that night…_

"Is it extremely classless if I drink out of the bottle?" Gia asked, walking into the living room with two bottles of wine.

"It's classless if you drink wine out of a box," Brianna said. "If you have a bottle that costs as much as these, you can do whatever you want with them."

"Bri…are you okay?" Gia asked, sitting beside her sister. She'd been drinking for the better part of 3 hours and she didn't look like she was going to stop anytime soon. Gia had tried calling Raquel repeatedly but she wasn't answering.

"I'm great," Brianna smiled the fakest smile Gia had ever seen. "Nick moved all of Maya's stuff out. I have no idea when or if I'm gonna see her again. Everything is wonderful."

"Honey, I'm sorry," Gia wrapped her arms around her sister.

"I don't need you to be sorry," Brianna pulled away, standing up. "I brought this on myself. It's all my fault."

"It's not-"

"Gi, don't," Brianna pointed. "Don't bother."

Gia was about to argue with her sister but then she heard a key in the door. Nick had gotten everything earlier and Troy was still out of town so she couldn't imagine who would be coming in. She stood up, she and Brianna both moving toward the door. When it opened, Raquel walked in looking pale, her eyes bright red.

"Raquel," Gia rushed over, Brianna on her heels. "What's wrong?"

Raquel's eyes filled with tears as she spoke through sobs, "I told Jeff..how I feel about him..I told him I love him."

Brianna put down her wine bottle, seeming to sober up a little.

"What did he say?" Gia asked, knowing it clearly hadn't gone well.

"He…he doesn't love me back," Raquel broke into sobs. Brianna wrapped her arms around her and Gia hugged both of them tightly. She'd never been in this position before. Both of her sisters were broken. And she didn't know how to fix them.

* * *

_**That's it peeps....Thoughts?**_


End file.
